Yomi Omogbeja (07/08/2004)

Many African athletes are burning the London city tracks with speed, yet most of them are not even known to their national federations.

Last weekend I was at the Terence Macmillan Stadium in Plaistow, East London for the British Athletics League Division one match day four - one of many meets where these African stars show their stuff.

Some of them have never even been to their original countries before and some are more British than they are African.

And with most African national athletics federations seemingly incapable of retaining homegrown talents, it’s almost impossible for them to attract these London talents.

Yet, most of these athletes would love to compete for their original countries if they were approached and better welfare packages are put in place for them.

A case in point is that of Nigerian-born quarter-miler Christine Ohuruogu, who will be competing in Athens this summer for Great Britain and Northern Island.

While elite British athletes are funded through the sports lottery to prepare for major competitions, African athletes wait endlessly for their grants to be paid. Instead sports ministry officials waste millions of dollars on foreign trips.

Frustrated and Neglected

The 33-year-old Thomas twins from Sierra Leone told me of their frustration with their national association. They have represented their country in past at the Commonwealth games and the Olympics, yet they are still neglected and are never consulted.

Josephus, the Sierra Leonean national 100m record holder, is still recuperating from an injury sustained at the AAA indoor trials in Sheffield earlier in the year.

He has a personal best of 10.32 set in Birmingham in July 1998 and a wind assisted 10.19 set in Fullerton, CA in April 1998, while his twin Jocelyn has a personal best of 10.36.

Nevertheless, Josephus anchored the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletics club to the second position in the men’s 4X100 relay in 40.65 with Jocelyn running the third leg.

He said: “We do not even know what they are doing. They did not send money for us to train. Now we heard they are taking two sprinters to Athens.

“It is a crazy organisation. I’m am not even sure they are sending anyone to the Olympics.”

Nigerian sprinter Hakeem Ogunyemi of Enfield and Haringey athletics club is another of the London based athletes. Hakeem frustration lies at the lack of organisation at the Athletics federation of Nigeria.

The Enfield and Haringey star sprinter returned a 10.58 to place third in the 100 metres and afterwards told me how he was not placed in the finals at the Nigerian Olympic trials earlier in the month despite coming in a photo finish with the second and third placed athletes.

Questionable officiating

When the semi–final result was released he was placed fourth in 10.54 while the second and third place athletes made it to the final with 10.40 and 10.44 respectively.

“ I really don’t understand the officiating. How on earth they decide positions. You see two people dipping on the line and the times they return will be miles apart,” he said.

Former AFN President Smart Akaraka described the athletes' performance as “dismal” and the officiating as “terrible”.

“I have never seen a worse officiating. It used to be athletics at its best; this is Nigeria's athletics at its worst.

But despite such bad report, some of the athletes are still hopeful to attend future trials. One of them is 19-year old Nigerian Isaiah Adekanmbi.

The Enfield and Haringey junior has a personal best of 10.97seconds in the 100m and hope to be in Nigeria next year for the world championships trials.

Other African athletes who were part of the action at the Newham Leisure centre include: