Falilat ogunkoya achievement gap

Over the years, Nigerian women have made significant strides in track and field sports, overcoming cultural and societal obstacles to excel. These athletes have proven their mettle in sprinting, long-distance running, hurdling, and shot put, earning national and international recognition. “It’s wonderful to see women breaking barriers and excelling in their respective sports,” remarked Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, a Silver medalist in the Olympics who dominated the 100, 200, and relays in her heyday.

Pioneering Nigerian women in track and field sports

Before today’s champions, certain female Nigerian athletes paved the way, achieving notable success in events such as the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprints, as well as in the long jump and triple jump. Some of the most successful Nigerian female athletes include Modupe Oshikoya, a 1960s sprinter; Violet Odogwu-Nwajei, a 1970s hurdler; and Chioma Ajunwa, a legendary long jumper and Olympic gold medalist (1996); Falilat Ogunkoya: a 400m hurdler and Olympic bronze medalist (1996); as well as Mary Onyali-Omagbemi: a sprinter and Olympic bronze medalist (1992, 1996).

Sprinter and long jumper Blessing Okagbare stands out as an Olympic and World Championships medalist and a Guinness Book Of World Records holder. She has set multiple records and received several awards, including the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR). Their achievements highlight their abilities and inspire and embolden other women to pursue their dreams in sports.

Hitting hurdles: Setbacks for Nigerian female athletes

Despite facing cultural and societal barriers, Nigerian women in track and field have persevered, shattering records and stereotypes. They have overcome limited funding, inadequate facilities, and gender bias to succeed.

“We are the most successful female team in Africa, yet we have the largest disparities between men’s and women’s pay. I think we deserve equal pay. This big gap tells a different story

Sean WallaceJones for IAAF
4 August 1999 - Romania’s Gabriela Szabo became the first of the IAAF Golden League contenders to go through to the fifth round of the competition, winning the women’s 3000m in magnificent style. Unusually, Szabo moved into the lead around the halfway mark and didn’t relinquish that position for the rest of the race. The leading pack of Szabo, Maria Pantyukhova ((RUS), Julia Vaquero (ESP), Fernanda Ribeiro (POR), Tegla Loroupe (KEN) and Carla Sacramento (POR) were tightly bunched for the majority of the race, with the followers trading places regularly behind Szabo. Pantyukhova, Loroupe and Ribeiro all took their turns behind the Romanian, while Carla Sacramento trailed the leaders by some ten or fifteen metres. It was only into the final bend that Szabo turned on the gas and steamed away from the field, rapidly building up a lead of fifteen metres. This was the moment Sacramento had been waiting for too. As Szabo pulled away in front, it was Sacramento who roared through from behind, overtook the leaders and chased Szabo towards the finish line. To no avail: Szabo was first across the line in a new meeting record time of 8:28.36, two seconds ahead of the Portuguese who timed 8:30.22.

Despite her apparent domination of her event, Szabo expressed reservations when asked whether she felt confident about victory in the IAAF Golden League "Three more competitions of this event is difficult for me. I think it is more difficult for me than someone in the 100 metres. But then again, all events are difficult.

"In Paris, Zahra Ouaziz led all the way and then I kicked and I beat her in the last 200m. Maybe I was not right, but I wanted to win here and I have showed that I can also lead and the result is the same."

Wilson Kipketer (DEN) confirmed his place in the IAAF Golden League jackpot stakes by smashing the stadium record and setting

During her active days as an athlete where she specialised in the 100 metres, Endurance Ojokolo-Akpeki won eight gold medals for Nigeria at continental and inter-continental level, and competed at six editions of the World Athletics Championships, amongst many other competitions. However, one elusive achievement which she greatly desired but which did not materialise, was making the final of the Olympics in the 100 metres.

The seven-time national champion had competed at the Athens 2004 Olympics where she reached the semis, and this motivated her to make a promise to one day coach an athlete that would compete in the final of the Olympics.

While making this pledge, Ojokolo-Akpeki, who went into coaching in 2010, two years after her last competition for Nigeria, knew it was going to take a lot of sacrifice, hard work and dedication to fulfil. However, she did not reckon that some of the sacrifices she would have to make in order to remain at the top of her game as one of Nigeria’s best athletics coaches, would literally involve a lot of pain and tears while embarking on a mission to change the narrative that coaching is strictly a man’s job, and there is the lack of female representation in sports coaching.

Where are the female coaches?

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), only 13 percent of coaches at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were women, compared to the number of female athletes (48 percent). It is estimated that there are over 133,386 Head Coaches currently employed in the United States, with 33.7 percent of them being women, while 66.3 percent are men. Moving closer home, it has become imperative to use one of the country’s leading sports, Athletics, to highlight some of the challenges that have set a bar on the influx of women into the coaching terrain.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) was formally established in 1944. It was then known as the Amateur Athletic Association of Nigeria. The federation has had only one Hea

Tony, a son to Atlanta 1996 Olympic bronze and silver medalist in the 400m and 4 x 400m women relay races, Falilat Ogunkoya, tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about his mother’s feats in track and field

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Tony Osheku Junior. My family is into sports, basically track and field. My dad (Tony Osheku) was an athletics coach, and my mum, Falilat Ogunkoya, represented Nigeria in athletics for many years. I am currently based in the United States.

 How much influence did your mother have on your career choice?

Growing up and seeing my mother representing Nigeria as an athlete, I always wanted to be like her. Whenever I watched her races and how she ran so well, I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps, and like her, my goal is to one day participate in the Olympics. I am the only son and I am following in her footsteps. I am currently training and trying to pursue a professional career in track and field. She and my father have really been supportive of me to pursue this career path.

What are some of the values you have learnt from your mother?

My mother taught me to be hard working. She instilled that in me from my childhood days. She always tells me nothing good comes easy, that she did not get to the top of her career by messing around. She worked hard. She tells me all the time, that for me to be the best and run faster, I have to work hard.

How does it feel to be a son to such a famous Nigerian sports icon?

It feels so good for me to have a mother that is looked up to by many people in Nigeria and in sports circles. I remember when I was growing up, whenever I went to school; I was seen as a mini-celebrity, because my schoolmates would always say, ‘Oh, your mum is Falilat Ogunkoya!’ I’m really proud to be her son.

What do you think of your mum’s achievement as a top national athlete for many years?

I think her