Violet Odogwu

Violet Obiamaka Odogwu-Nwajei is a former Nigerian track and field athlete. She is a former president of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and a Vice-President of the Confederation of African Athletics.[1]

Life

Odogwu was born in Asaba, Delta State.[2] She started education in the city before moving to Lagos where she completed her secondary education.

In the 1950s, Violet and her sister Juliet ran for the Ladies Sports Club.[3] In 1958, she represented Nigeria at the 1958 Commonwealth Games.[4] Her progressive performance at the event earned her a 'Sports Woman of the Year' award.[2] After the games, she continued with her studies taking courses on secretarial studies. In 1963, she went back to athletics and represented Nigeria at the first All-African Games in the 80m hurdle.[2]

Odogwu was a member of the Nigerian contingent to the 1966 Commonwealth Games, Kingston. At the Kingston games, she earned a bronze medal jumping 20 feet, 2-1/2 inches in the long jump event to become the first female African medalist at the Commonwealth Games.[5]

In 1968, she captained the Nigerian women athletics team to the 1968 Olympics. She did not win a medal but was a finalist in long jump [6] She was a bronze medalist at the Little Olympics, held a year earlier in preparation for the main event.

Notes
  1. Ikhazuagbe This Day & 19 April 2011.
  2. Spear & October 1967.
  3. Amadiume 2000, p. 43.
  4. Ogunbiyi 1978, p. 104.
  5. Ogunbiyi 1978, p. 107.
  6. Oduyale 1979, p. 104.

Sources
  • Amadiume, Ifi (2000). Daughters of the Goddess, Daughters of Imperialism: African Women Struggle for Culture, Power and Democracy. Zed Books.
  • Ogunbiyi, Ogungbenjo (1978). The Development of Nigeria's Participation in International Sports Competition and Its Effects on the Nation (Thesis). Ohio State University.
  • Oduyale, Amos (1979). TWENTY-FIVE YEARS HISTORY OF OLYMPIC MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA, 1951-1976 (Thesis). OPennsylvania Stale University.
  • Ikhazuagbe, Duro (19 April 2011). "Kalkaba, Odogwu Re-Elected to Lead African Athletics". This day. lagos.
  • "Profile of Violet Odogwu". Spear Magazine. Lagos: Daily Times. October 1967.
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