Emmanuel Ojeli shattered his personal best (PB) in the men’s 100m semi-finals by clocking 10.24 seconds on day 1 of the MTN Champs Lagos Continental Relays at the Yaba College of Technology and University of Lagos sports complexes.
Ojeli’s performance was one of several standout showings on Wednesday as the championships kicked off in style with 2,505 athletes from 155 secondary schools competing across four age categories: Cadet (U14), Youth (U17), Junior (U20), and Senior.
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Men’s 100m: Ojeli leads the charge
Ojeli’s record-breaking sprint was followed by Emmanuel Babalola (10.55 seconds) and Ganiu Hassan (10.63 seconds), who finished second and third in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Favour Ashe, fresh off a strong outing at the Niger Delta Sports Festival, clocked a wind-assisted 10.14 seconds to win his heat, narrowly edging ThankGod Igube (10.23 seconds).
Chidera Ezeakor also made a statement with a solid 10.43 seconds, ahead of Oriyomi Akala (10.56 seconds).
Women’s 100m: Bada blazes to double PB
In the women’s 100m, Iyanu Bada delivered two personal bests in one day—11.48 seconds in the preliminaries and an even quicker 11.38 seconds in the semi-finals.
She was followed by Janet Adesiyan (11.88s) and Favour Odiyeye (11.97s), both showing strong form.
Junior 100m: Future stars emerge
In the Junior Men’s 100m, John Caleb posted a new personal best of 10.38 seconds in the semi-finals, leading the division.
Qudus Akintoye (10.59 seconds) and Abdulrahman Jimoh (10.61 seconds) also made it into the top three.
On the women’s side, Lucy Nwankwo of Team MTN clocked the fastest time across all junior heats with a personal best of 12.07 seconds. Teammate Azeezat Muhammed-Raji followed in 12.20 seconds, while Ojone Akubo-Adegbe placed third with 12.27 seconds.
400m Heats: Okon-George and Nathaniel shine
In the men’s 400m heats, Samson Nathaniel recorded a season’s best 46.20 seconds to top the qualifiers. Benjamin Magaji secured second overall with 48.28 seconds.
Among the women, Olympian Patience Okon-George kicked off her season with a 53.19-second run, while Miracle Donald-Uwem registered a new lifetime best of 54.59 seconds, winning her heat and ranking second overall.
Strong start for Nigerian athletics
The opening day of the race showcased a wave of emerging talent and hinted at a bright future for Nigerian track and field. Athletes across categories impressed with a flurry of personal and season-best performances, particularly in the sprint events.
The Lagos leg of the relays continues until Saturday, April 12, with the Season 3 grand finale set to take place in Uyo from April 30 to May 3.
