FASU Games: Gold medal excites LASU hurdler, seeks to emulate Amusan

Akan clinched the gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the FASU Games and is confident she can follow in the footsteps of her idol, Tobi Amusan, by winning titles for Nigeria

Rosemary Akan from the Lagos State University (LASU) has won gold in the 100m women’s hurdles at the ongoing All African University Games (FASU 2024)

She was excited about winning her first international gold medal at the competition.

Akan, who could not hide her joy after the victory, said the win would spur her to train more and possibly represent Nigeria, following in the footsteps of Tobi Amusan.

“It’s wonderful, actually. I’m not going to lie. It is very wonderful because at first I was very scared because this is my first time in an international competition.

“After I did my rehearsal and all that, my thought was that I should rehearse the first two steps. So after my rehearsal, I was like, okay this is not that bad, I can do it and I did it.

“It has not been easy, because there are times I will have classes, but in training, I thank God for everything,” she said.

Akan also commended the efforts of her coaches, saying they were the force behind her success.

“I will say with the help of my coaches, Coach Fatai, Coach Jelo, and Coach Jackson, they have been encouraging me.

“I also have the support of my parents. They are behind me on this journey. My mum also prayed for me this morning. The success came because of their prayers.

“I intend to do more in athletics, not only in all I00m but also in 200m. I’m not going to relent because I feel like I still have more work to do.

“I am looking forward to going international, to represent Nigeria as a whole. I love to watch Tobi Amusan a lot,” she added.

Akan’s coach, Abraham Jackson, praised the athlete for her dedication, saying he so much believed in her ability.

“I am really impressed with her performance. In fact, just like she said, this is her first international outing. It has not been easy, but she worked hard to carry the victory.

“I always tell her that winning comes with practice, listening to instructions and doing the needful.

“In terms of training, she is one of my right hand persons. Actually, I thank God today. I personally chose her as the female coordinator in my athletic team at Lagos State University… and she has been doing well,” he said.

(NAN)