Mobil 2005 blasts off, as athletes chase N1m Jackp

ABUJA,NIGERIA - The 16th NNPC/Mobil Track & Field Championships took off on a sound note last night in Abuja with top Nigerian athletes in attendance with expectations for a place in next August’s IAAF World Championships in Athletics coming up in Helsinki, Finland.

Besides the chance to represent Nigeria in Helsinki though, this year’s event comes with an innovation of cash prize money which obviously is the centre-of-attraction. The American oil exploration company, ExxonMobil (operators of the NNPC/Mobil JV) decided to introduce prize money in this year’s edition to allow for a more competitive spirit between the athletes and so far, they appear to be winning with the formula.

Winners in each event will take home a princely N50,000 cash (about 370 USD) while second and third place finishers get N30,000 (about 222 USD) and N20,000 (148 USD) respectively. But the big one is a one million Naira (about 7,400 USD) Jackpot prize for each of the overall best performers in both male and female categories. This is taking the shape of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot prize of one million dollars.

Part of the innovation in the year’s Mobil Championships is the fact that only six foreign based athletes adjudged to be the "best" were officially invited for the meet, with every other person attending at their expense, giving it a true athletics frame.

"The idea is that they should come here to run and win the prizes at stake. When they win, the money belongs to them and not the federation. Of course, if they are also selected as part of the Nigerian team, it means they would get every other camp benefits in addition," Mrs. Maria Worphil told nigeriasports.com on phone.

With the exception of the Commonwealth and Africa women Shot Put champion, Vivian Chukwuemeka-Peters, every other athlete would sweat to earn their possible N50,000. Vivian is coming into the event in high spirit and having scored several firsts for her Azusa Pacific University in the United States, a place in the World Championships and possible shot at the world title is a legitimate ambition for the Delta big woman.

The men’s brace continues to be the centre-of-attraction in the three-day event with IAAF top 10 ranked Adetokunbo Olusoji Fasuba, taking on the pressure to excel ahead of the 2002 IAAF World Cup in Athletics champion Uchenna Emedolu and Deji Aliu.

The likes of defending champion Tamunosiki Atorudibo and U.S. based Aaron Engbele would give a good competition to the tape, but most unlikely for the top prize.

The women field is quite weak with just Endurance Ojokolo and Mercy Nku, haggling for the top prize over 100 metres and possibly 200M as well. Don’t expect a one million Naira Jackpot winner from this pool.

IAAF Standards

Besides winning prize monies, the athletes will have to meet IAAF Standards set at it’s full Council meeting held in Helsinki, Finland from December 4-5, 2004. This was further reviewed and ratified at its’ Council meeting held from April 10-11, 2005 in Doha.

We bring you the Standards for the event Nigeria is most likely going to feature athletes at the Championships in Helsinki in August.

MEN: A- B

100M 10.21/ 10.28

200M 20.59/ 20.75

400M 45.59 /45.95

4 X 100M 39.00

4 X 400M 3:04.00

WOMEN:

100M 11.30/ 11.40

200M 22.97/ 23.13

400M 51.50/ 52.30

100M-H 12.96/ 13.11

Shop Put 18.55M /17.30M

4 X 100M 44.00

4 X 400M 3:31.00

By Jo Benson