Chidi Okezie Wins Men’s 400m At National Sports Festival
The men and women’s 400m event were the major highlights on Day 3 of athletics at the ongoing National Sports Festival as Chidi Okezie won his first title in the men’s 400m final in a time of 45.58s at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin, Edo State.
Okezie did not give room for a gap to open up in the opening 200m, and he stayed with the frontrunners and attacked when he needed to, easily winning his 1st National Sports Festival 400m title . Emmanuel Ojeli came 2nd in 46.08s and Sikiru Adeyemi 3rd in 46.51s.
The women’s 400m final final provided for an entertaining spectacle as Patience Ikon-George was up against Imabong Nse Uko in a race that was billed as experience against youth.
However, Uko unleashing a devastating burst of speed over the last 150m to blow away Okon-George to roar to a new Personal Best of 51.71s, and retaining her title she first won in 2018
On Imaobongs path, she walked towards the timer briskly as she was clearly trying to process the fact that she had just taken 0.37s off her previous personal best.
Okon-George was a few meters back as she took Silver for Cross River state in a time of 52.31.
Team Ondo’s Joy Usenbor took Bronze in 54.00, Bayelsa’s Ovwighoadjebere of Delta State was fourth in 49.60, and Ondo’s Opeyemi Ojo took fifth in 54.19.
Chidi Nwoke.
