Atlanta Olympic Games bronze medalist, Falilat Ogunkoya, has revealed why her son, Tony Osheku Junior, would not tread her path in the track and field events. Osheku Jr is a sprint athlete, but his mother said she will not force him to run the long distance race.
Speaking to The Point at Eko Hotel in Lagos, during the Lagos City Marathon press briefing, Ogunkoya said she would have loved to see her only son running in the 400 metres race that brought her fame and honour, but he bluntly refused to run the long distance race.
Osheku Jnr, who bears the same name with his father, Coach Tony Osheku, was nurtured and raised up in a sporting environment in the United States of America, after his father and mother parted ways, few years after his birth. Both Falilat and Osheku Snr were love birds in the Nigerian camp in the 1990s.
In the past, we had many athletes competing favourably in the marathon both locally and internationally, but now, there is nothing like that
The senior Osheku was also Ms. Ogunkoya’s personal coach in the 1990s, before the bubble of their budding relationship burst, but the child has maintained the flame of that relationship, as they have been fully committed to the child’s upbringing.
Today, both Osheku Snr and Ogunkoya are proud parents. They had invested in the fruit of their union, and now looking forward to enjoy the dividends of the short, but result-oriented relationship.
According to Ms Ogunkoya, who always avoids any discussion bordering on her marital affairs, it is the joy of every parent to see his or her child in high places doing wonderfully well in every area of his or her endeavours.
“Tony has graduated, and he is doing fine in America. He is focusing on sprint events. He said 400 metres is too long for him. He does not want to run my race. He really wants to be himself and may God help him,” Ms Ogunkoya jokingly told The Point.
The young athlete has been training seriously to make impact in athletics, just like his mother, as he is motivated by his mother’s mark in the 400 metres event. Ogunkoya, who now runs a foundation in athletics, said she will not compel her son to venture into any thing beyond his wish.
“He is a grown up man and he knows what to do. He has plans for his career. He is living his life and mine is to support him in any way. We have tried all we could to make him fulfil his destiny,” she said.
Osheku Jnr, in a separate interview, described his mother as the best mum in the world, adding that he was privileged to be her son and have her around him. Osheku Jnr said of his mother, “My mother’s name has been opening doors for me in many ways.
I remember when the Glo marathon event was held in Nigeria. I used to have the opportunity of going to the main stage with the celebrities and stars, because of her status.
Also, in track and field, whenever I wanted to get a shot to run at trials or similar events, it is always easier for me to do that because of my parents. She is the best mother in the world. She always calls to check on me, making sure I am fine and not doing the wrong thing or treading a wrong path.
She is always there for me. “She is the best Nigerian female quarter-miler, because what she did for the sports is huge. She represented and won medals for Nigeria at the Olympics and several other international competitions.
Also, she had represented Nigeria excellently at many World Junior Athletics Championships, in the 200m and the 400m, and she was regarded as one of the best in the world then. I think she won the first track and field medal for Nigeria at the 1996 Olympics, when she won bronze.
Of course, Chioma Ajunwa won gold in the long jump. My mother ran 49.10 seconds, which is still an African record till today. In 1998, I think she was ranked number one in the world in the 400m.
She took it to a whole new level. She does deserve that accolade as the best quarter-miler Nigeria has ever had. In her time, there were other 400m athletes like Bisi Afolabi, Charity Opara, Fatima Yusuf.
They were all phenomenal athletes, but I would have to give my mother the edge on this one.” Ms Ogunkoya, a member of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, however believes that most Nigerians never wanted to make a career from the long distance races.
“In the past, we had many athletes competing favourably in the marathon both locally and internationally, but now, there is nothing like that. The AFN is more concerned about raising the awareness through this kind of events and by the grace of God, Nigeria will be a force in the marathon events in future,” she said.
The former Team Nigeria star witnessed how Kenyans came to Nigeria to sweep the stake at the 2nd Lagos City Marathon last Saturday and she was not surprised about the outcome of the race.
She said, “Traditionally, we know those countries who are a threat in a race like this. Kenya has been dominating long distance races for a long time. Even during our time, they had the best runners around the continent and the world.
Then we talk about the Ethiopians, who were also improving and the Somalians who were gradually moving to England to change nationality. “Nigeria has the potentials and we are doing everything to make things work according to plans.”
AFN chairman, Chief Solomon Ogba, confirmed that Nigeria has not matured enough to stage a full marathon race because of the logistics involved. Only the foreigners, who have the culture and the facility to train well, with the climatic condition, could withstand the heat and the strength of running a good race anywhere in the world.
