Uyo is destination point as I plan to carry Golden Lass, Imaobong Nse Uko shoulder high from Nwaniba to Government House. This girl must be celebrated, she is the first Nigerian to win three gold medals in a global Championships.
Imaobong’s tale is fascinating. Four years ago she had no spikes. This Etinan child rose from Apostolic Church Secondary School, Ikot Oku Nsit to limelight in 2017 at the Akwa Ibom Youth Games. Today she is a world champion, tomorrow can only get better.
As a junior athlete, this quarter miler made it to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a member of the Nigerian 4x 400 metres Mixed Relay team. As a first timer, what she gained was experience not medals. And that was what she took to Kenya.
At the Nairobi 2021 IAAF World Junior Athletics Championships, Imaobong grabbed three gold medals, in the 400 metres, 4×400 Mixed Relay and 4×400 respectively. She was the reason Nigeria did so well to place third on the medals table, for the first time.
The country placed third overall, with four gold and three bronze medals, behind the United States and hosts, Kenya. The fourth gold was won by Udodi Onwuzuruike in the men’s 200 metres. The last time gold came was at the 2008 championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland through Folashade Abugan in the 400 metres.
For winning three gold medals, Imaobong got 15,000 US dollars from Sports minister,Sunday Dare. Bronze medalists, Favour Ofili (200m), Nnamdi Chinecherem ( Javelin) Praise Ofoku, Favour Ofili, Anita Taviore and Tina Seikeseye Godbless ( 4x100m) earned 2,000 dollars each.
Other members of the 4x 400m Mixed Relay team, Johnson Nnamani, Opeyemi Oke and Bamidele Ajayi also got 5,000 dollars each just like the 4x 400 women’s team of Opeyemi Oke, Ella Onujuvwevwo and Favour Ofili.
Francis Obikwelu was the first Nigerian to win two gold medals at the Championships. He won the 100m and 200m respectively at Sydney ’96. The first Nigerian gold medals came at the inaugural edition, Athens ’86. Tina Iheagwam was 100m champion. Falilat Ogunsanya was best in 200m.
Other golden athletes are Davidson Ezinwa, Plovdiv ’90(100m), Fatima Yusuf, Plovdiv (400m),Deji Aliu, Lisboa ’94 (100m), Bisi Afolabi, Lisboa (400m) and Nduka Awani, Annecy ’98 (400m).
Akwa Ibom should be proud of this girl. When I first saw the name, I thought she was from the family of Utitifon Uko( now Nketah). The latter dominated the sprints between 1977 and 1978. She was 100m and 200m champion for two consecutive years. Someone said no.
Imaobong could be taking the baton from Enefiok Udobong who powered Nigeria to a 4x 400m gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. And she has outpaced Joan Uduak Ekah who was too young in Sydney and was pushed into the same second round heat with over hyped and hyper drugged Marion Jones.
I watched her in that 100m Second Round, Heat Two race. Ekah was in Lane 8, Jones in Lane 2. After a false start, the poor girl could not gather her nerves. She finished eighth. Little did we know that the American superstar was a big time cheat.
Ekah had won bronze in the 100m at the 1998 IAAF World Junior Championships in Annecy, France and was the record holder in 60 m Indoor with 7.09 secs.
Akwa Ibom athletes also excelled in the past. Daniel Effiong won gold in the 100m at the World Universities Games (Universiade), Buffalo ’93 after ending as silver medalist in the same event at Sheffield ’91.
Gabriel Okon was national champion in the 200m in 1984 and again in 1986. Ikpoto Eseme, the policeman, became national champion in 1985 and won gold at the Brisbane ’82 Commonwealth Games with the trio of Iziaq Adeyanju, Lawrence Adegbeingbe and Samson Oyeledun in the 4x 100m Relay.
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One other superstar, Florence Ekpo- Umoh, represented Nigeria at the World Junior Championships, Lisboa ’94 but switched allegiance to Germany in 1995. That decision paid off as she won a silver medal with the German 4×400 squad at the IAAF World Championships, Edmonton 2001.
I need to ask governor Emmanuel Udom how he bought his magic wand that has turned Akwa Ibom to the Sports Capital of Nigeria. We had not finished celebrating Akwa United’s Premier League victory when Imaobong raced to world attention.
Even at the Tokyo Olympics, an Akwa Ibom man, Elija Godwin bagged a bronze medal for the United States in the 4×400 mixed relay. He has an Uyo dad, Godwin Williams and an American mother, Ginger Luby.
Former Green Eagles and Rangers star, Arthur Ebunam, sent me a note from the United States on Governor Emmanuel.
“What a difference a true loving governor can make to change the destiny of a team. We need a man like Governor Udom Emmanuel to run Nigerian football”, Arthur wrote after the Orange men won the Premier League.
As I carry Imaobong shoulder high, supported by the Akwa Ibom Brass Band and Mass Choir, from Nwaniba to Government House, Uyo, I know not what the Etinan girl will get. Already she has been offered scholarship by Baylor University, US.
And credit must go to her coach, Daniel Tom Umoette. Perhaps, if not for his efforts, Imaobong would still be down the countryside doing Swell and listening to Tales by Moonlight.
I can see the Akwa Ibom governor adjusting his glasses. Imaobong will smile like she has never done all her life. A man with Zenith Bank touch can never give out handout. Imaobong’s cheque will be another world record.
