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One of Team Nigeria’s most experienced athletes, Chidi Okezie, has declared that he is competing in the men’s 200m event at the Senior African Athletics Championship with the ambition of delivering a performance that will excite fans.
Okezie, whose main event is the 400m, advanced to the final of the 200m and admitted that the shorter sprint requires a completely different approach compared to the one-lap race he describes as his “pride and joy.”
According to the Nigerian sprinter, the 400m is more tactical and technical, while the 200m demands explosive speed, a quick start and a strong finish.
“200m is half the distance, but 400m is my pride and joy, so I take care because it’s technical,” Okezie said.
“In 200m it’s all out, more speed, a strong start and finishing strong. It’s a different type of race.”
The experienced athlete also stressed that his motivation comes from the high standards he sets for himself, alongside his belief that he is fulfilling a greater purpose through athletics.
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“I’m here for a purpose, to give my best and to make sure my races are something everybody wants to watch,” he said.
“What keeps me going is the expectation I have of myself, knowing that God has a purpose for me. It’s all coming together.”
Okezie also offered words of encouragement to the younger athletes in Team Nigeria, advising them to remain patient, disciplined and committed to their training.
“I just tell them to do what you do in training, do what your coach tells you,” he said.
“Some of them look up to me and I just tell them, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so you may have a bad race, a bad training session, it’s all part of that piece to a puzzle.”
