One of Nigeria's greatest hepthathlete Patience Itanyi has hailed Uhunoma Osazuwa for breaking her 12 year old 5,730 points national heptathlon record.
Osazuwa set a new 5,992 points national record at the Jim Click Combined Events in Tucson,Arizona in the United States of America to erase the record Itanyi set on June 4,2000 in Arles.
In earsing her own personal best of 5668 points set in Calabar last year during the All Nigeria/Cross River Athletics championships, Osazuwa set personal best of 13.43 seconds in the 100m hurdles, cleared a new life time height of 1.84m in the high jump,put a new 12.52m in the shot put and a wind-aided 23.79 seconds in the 200m.
''I am very happy for what Uhunoma has done.The record has been there for too long and I am delighted she has been able to break it'',said a delighted Itanyi from her base in the USA.
Itanyi has howvere warned that it is not yet uhuru for Uhunoma and Nigeria if the target is to beat the best in the world.
''I was not happy with the 5730 points record I set 12 years ago because it was neither fetched me a medal in global competitions or made a force to be reckoned with.That is why most of my achievemnets came in single events like the long jump (6.54m) and 100m hurdles (13.35 seonds) where I made it to the quater-finals at both the 27th Olympic Games in Sydney.
Australia and the 5th IAAF World Championships in Gothenburg,Sweden in 1995′',recalled Itanyi who last year was inducted into the West Virginia University,USA hall of fame for her unprecedented feats in collegiate athletics.
''So I feel Nigeria and Nigerians should not over celebrate it.Lets see how we can make Uhunoma better,make her reach at least the African record mark of 6423 points set by Ghana's Margaret Simpson in 2005.Then we can start hoping for some kind of global recognition I did not get.
This is the time Nigeria should get involved in her programme.Whatever she has achieved now is solely through her personal effort and the fact that she is based in the USA.Must we always depend on America to produce world-class athletes?'',asked Itanyi.
Vanguard Nigeria