By Abiodun Adewale
African Games 400m champion Chidi Okezie says he is looking forward to winning again on Ghanaian soil as the African Senior Athletics Championships hold in the West African country from May 12 to 17, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
It was in Ghana that the 32-year-old won his first individual gold at the senior level for Nigeria, claiming the men’s 400m title at the 2024 African Games.
Okezie recently helped Nigeria qualify for the mixed 4x400m relay event at the 2027 World Championships in Beijing, securing the ticket via the repechage at the just-concluded World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana.
The US-based athlete has also set a new personal best of 32.05s in the men’s 300m, achieving the feat at the Simbine Classic in Pretoria, South Africa, last week.
He has had a busy season, especially in Africa, as part of his build-up to the championships.
Before the Simbine Classic, he competed in the 200m at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya, where he placed seventh in 20.74s. He also finished third in the 200m at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix.
He has played down any pressure ahead of the championships.
“No pressure, just opportunities. Yes, there will be a target on my back because I won the last time, but I think I excel when the pressure is on,” he told Making of Champions.
His teammate, Samuel Ogazi, recently set a new national record in the event, and Okezie believes there is more to come from him and other quarter-milers ahead of major championships.
“I told him, ‘Good job,’ and we have a running battle. It’s a friendly competition. When I started, everyone was running 46 seconds, and I started running 44 seconds, and now everybody is running 44 seconds. So, it’s time to start running some 43s.
“Records on records. Everybody is stepping up, so we are ready.”
