Francoise Mbango returns to action with world leader in Addis Ababa (© Jiro Mochizuki (Agence shot))
Cameroon's Françoise Mbango, the reigning Olympic and African champion of the women’s Triple Jump, is headlined to be in Abuja, with 4 other reigning African champion should provide the central quality of the CAA Grand Prix here in Abuja this Monday (23).
The Abuja meeting is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final, to be held on 13-14 September in Stuttgart, Germany.
The two other African permit meets in this category this year were held in Brazzaville and in Algiers.
A week before the Nigerian Olympic qualification trials all the best national sprinters, jumpers and throwers will be on show against their international opponents.
10 events are scheduled at international level -
Men: 100m, 400m, 1500m, 110mH, Long Jump.
Women: Triple Jump, Shot Put, 400m, 100m, 100mH
Expected highlights:
MEN
100m
The comeback of Ghanaian Aziz Zakari will make the dash a close contest. Nigeria’s 2008 African champion, Olusoji Fasuba will also have a good fight against his compatriot the Addis Ababa runner-up Uchenna Emedolu, who is a former World Cup winner.
400m
The three best African one lap runners will face each other in Abuja. The reigning Africa Champion from Sudan, Ali Babiker Nagmeldin will take on the two runners-up from the Addis Ababa final, and USA’s America’s Leo Settle is also in the field.
WOMEN
100m
Nigeria’s Ene Francisca Idoko, who won this race last year and in Brazzaville three weeks ago takes on her compatriot the reigning Africa Champion Damola Osayemi. Other Addis Ababa finalists will also be present including the silver medallist from Ghana Anim Vida, the Cameroonian Delphine Atangana, the bronze medallist in Ethiopia, and 2007 All Africa Games bronze medallist from Ivory Coast, Amandine Allou Affoue.
100m Hurdles
In this event, Guinean Fatmatah Fofanah, the 2008 Africa champion who has a PB of 12.96 will again meet Nigeria’s Toyin Augustus, the silver medallist in Addis Ababa.
Triple Jump
Françoise Mbango Etone is slated to compete in what would be only her second African meet since 2005. If the Olympic champion shows it will be the undoubted highlight of the meet.
Shot Put
Nigeria’s African champion Vivian Chukwuemeka, who was only third in the Brazzaville GP leg, will face her Addis Ababa runner up from South Africa Veronica Abrahamse, and the Germany’s Denise Hinrichs who has already put 19.01m this year.
Louisette-R. Thobi for IAAF
