No rush, says Nkrumie

National junior 100 metres record holder Bouwahjgie Nkrumie will be returning to Kingston College (KC) for the upcoming school year after turning down a number of professional clubs and overseas universities.

Nkrumie told The Gleaner yesterday that after consulting with his family, he has decided that this was the best thing to do because he wanted to complete his school career.

“I am going back to school to finish school,” said Nkrumie.“I think it is the perfect decision, maybe some people are going to say, ‘Why him never go professional’? But it is not what people think, and when I analysed the whole thing, I just made my decision because I am not in any rush,” he said.

“I got professional (offers), and offers from local colleges and all of that,” Nkrumie said.

Nkrumie set the new national mark of 10.02 seconds when he won a silver medal at this month’s World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.

He underscored that he is currently the holder of nine Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects and according to him, he is in no rush to enter the professional stage.

“Remember that I am still young, because I am 18 years-old, and so this is the right decision,” Nkrumie said.

“I may rush it (going into professional ranks) and something happens, so I am going to finish school and get my education and get some more subjects, including some Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination subjects,” he said.

Nkrumie 10.02 makes him the second-fastest junior in the world this year, behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who defeated him to win the gold medal in Cali, Colombia, earlier this month. Tebogo clocked a World Under-20 record of 9.91 to win gold in the event.

Nkrumie, who was the second-place finisher in the Class One boys’ 100m final at this year’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, helped to guide KC to the boys’ title at the annual competition.