As Nigeria is set to take part in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays slated for next weekend in Nassau, Bahamas, officials of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) are banking on the experience of the athletes for good results.
Okagbare
AFN media officer, Kayode Thomas, said the AFN president, Solomon Ogba, and other officials are relying on the experience of the athletes, especially those that excelled at last year’s African Youth Athletics Championships and the Golden League held recently in the country.
“Ogba and other officials of the AFN are banking on the experience of the athletes such as Blessing Okagbare and her colleagues in the team to do the nation proud and we want to believe that they will not let the country down,” said Thomas.
The AFN has released a 24-man list of athletes that will represent the country at the relays, with Okagbare who will compete in 4x100m and 4x200m relays leading the pack.
Others on the list include Gloria Asunmu, Dominique Omajuwa Duncan, Francesca Okwara, Peace Uko, Endurance Agbinuwani and Regina George.
Others are Patience Okon George, Omolara Omotosho, Bukola Abogunloko, Folashade Abugan and Amaka Ogoegbunam.
The men’s team includes Ogho-Oghene Egwero, Obinna Metu, Nicolas Imhoaperamhe, Mark Quis Frazier, Elvis Ukale, Divine Oduduru, Noah Akwu, Amaechi Morton, Orukpe Eraikoyan, Joseph Akerele, Tobi Ogunmola and Isah Salihu.
The officials that will be led by Ogba include: technical director, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, Olumide Bamiduro (secretary), Eric Campbell (relays coordinator), Maurice Greene, Gabriel Okon, Daniel Etsebiminor, Ekundayo Ogunkunle (physio), Timothy Lee (Physio), Falilat Ogunkoya (athletes representative) and Olukayode Thomas.
The IAAF World Relays will hold on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25 in Nassau.
There are two big incentives for nations to send their best squads to contest the 10 events which will be staged in the newly-built 15,000-seater Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, with both men and women competing in the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and 4x1500m.The top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m will automatically qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in 2015.
In addition, the top eight teams in each event will be awarded prize money with the gold medallists taking home not less than $50,000. In the event that a team sets a new world record in Nassau, a bonus of $50,000 will be added to its prize. Preliminary entries suggest that more than 700 athletes from 48 IAAF member federations will take part in Nassau.
Whetting the appetite for the forthcoming relay extravaganza, 2014 has already seen the United States men set a world indoor 4x400m record and a quartet of Kenyan women running a 4x1500m faster than ever before.
