Fasuba shines in Prague

In a bizarre 100m event, there were multiple false-starts, two disqualifications, and even a troupe of Czech pom-pom girls to distract the competitors in the blue riband event at the IAAF II event in Prague.

When the race eventually got under way it was won convincingly by Olusoji Fasuba (NGR) in 10:15, a creditable time given the slow track.

Britain's Jason Gardener was second in 10.27, with Eric Pacome N'Dri trailing home third.

Now back in Germany, Fasuba told Nigeriasports.com that beating Gardener puts him in a positive light ahead of the Mobil trials in Abuja.

"This is a good performance for me. I look forward to repeating such feat at Helsinki [venue of the World Athletic championship] but first Mobil is there in Abuja.

"Sometimes you need performances like this to keep you focused and strong, but I hope to keep this up," the softly-spoken athlete told Nigeriasports.com from Germany.

Elsewhere, most of the interest was given over to young Ethiopian Sihine Sileshi, who had declared an interest in Kenenisa Bekele's world record in the 10,000m.

After a slow start in which the pacemakers did nothing to help the Ethiopian, the world record was never in danger and Sihine eventually came home in 26:57.27. His place in the Ethiopian team for the forthcoming World Championships in Helsinki is still a subject of contention due to the depth in the country's squad.