My goal is to be part of the French team, Nigerian record-breaker Ejiasian declares
Nigeria-born Jared Ejiasia has revealed that his immediate target is to join the athletics team of France. The 16-year-old France-based sprinter and long jumper of Nigerian heritage declared this after he broke the world record for under-18s in the men’s 60m hurdles event last weekend. He clocked 7.43s at the Jesse Owens Hall during the […]
Nigeria-born Jared Ejiasia has revealed that his immediate target is to join the athletics team of France.
The 16-year-old France-based sprinter and long jumper of Nigerian heritage declared this after he broke the world record for under-18s in the men’s 60m hurdles event last weekend.
He clocked 7.43s at the Jesse Owens Hall during the two-day French indoor championships in Val-de-Reuil, to break a seven-year record and etch his name in the record books.
The sprinter decided to run under the Nigerian flag last year, and his record-breaking victory was heralded in his native Nigeria, with talks of the country unearthing a future star.
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However, Ejiasian has dashed such hope while speaking to the media, and revealed that he has submitted paperwork to become a French citizen after staying in the country since his first birthday.
He added that the move is a stepping stone towards making it into the French athletics team.
“I arrived in France in 2010 at the age of 1 and I’m currently doing the paperwork to obtain citizenship. My goal is to be part of the French team,” he disclosed.
Winner of two races this year, the bullish Ejiasian, a French Under-18 champion in the men’s 110m hurdles, added that his record-breaking sprint was not a surprise.
“I’ve been running times in training for weeks that were getting close to 7.50 seconds, so I’m not surprised to break this record. I came for this, and I expected it.”