You were not fair to me, Metu tells AFN
From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja
OBINNA Metu, who stunned Nigerian athletics buffs last year at the trials for the Beijing 2008 Olympics by beating crowd favourite, Olusoji Fasuba, to the 100 metres title, has criticised the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for allegedly favouring American sprinter, Thomas Hunter, during the semi-finals of the Abuja Grand Prix 100 metres held last weekend at the National Stadium.
Metu and Hunter were disqualified for beating the gun in the 100 metres men semi-final, only for the American to be reinstated in the final line-up. Metu complained bitterly about the decision, noting that it was a design by the AFN officials to pull him down.
“It baffled me why I was not called up in the finals, rather a preferential treatment was given to an American as against me in my own country and before my people,” the athlete, who noted that this type of treatment could not have happened in another country, wondered.
He stressed that the officials would have given him the preference since all effort was geared towards improving the standard of Nigerian athletes. The sprinter, however, assured fans that the disqualification would not affect him at the IAAF Championship slated for Berlin, Germany, later in the year. According to him, he was also ready to shame his detractors at the Mobil Track and Field Championship coming up this week in Abuja.
“Nobody is going to pull me down in any way. They are not my God, and I will be ready to prove myself at the upcoming Mobil Track and Field Championship in Abuja,” he vowed.
Reacting to Metu’s outbursts, the AFN Technical Director, Sunday Bada, told The Guardian that the Nigerian athlete was treated fairly, stating that about three officials fingered Metu as the athlete who clearly beat the gun while it was not clear whether Hunter or another athlete was also involved.
This, Bada said, was the reason the officials decided to consider the American for the finals as against Metu