The stertling performances of Nigerian athletes in America and Europe in recent times, as well as the excellent outing of Team Nigeria Athletics at the 13th African Games and the World Relay Championship, is putting bold and broad smiles on the faces of the board members of the AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The President of AFN, Chief Tonobok Okowa, informed that the excellent achievements of these athIetes in recent times is the collective hard work of the positive minds saddled with the responsibility to return Nigeria to the summit of athletics.
“We are focused and ready to go the extra mile to help the athIetes achieve their goals and objectives. We shall continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to make Nigeria proud in all our outings,” the AFN Chief stated.
“It gladdens our hearts to see them doing well and we will continue to encourage them to put in more effort in their training and preparations toward the Olympic Games.” Okowa added.
At the recently concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana, Team Nigeria Athletics dominated the athIetics event, claiming 11 gold medals in the process and at the just concluded World Relay Championship in Bahamas, four relay teams punched their tickets for the Paris Games.
This development, Chief Tonobok Okowa stated that the excellent results are product of good planning coupled with hard work and divine favour.
“As we move closer to the Olympic Games, we hope to support the athIetes financially based on the availability of funds. And we hope that well meaning Nigerians, corporate bodies and the government will put in their might so that the athletes can get stipends to keep them going.” Okowa, who is also the Vice President of Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), further emphasized.
AthIetes based in Nigeria and those in America and Europe have been complimenting each other during Team Nigeria’s outing in Accra, Ghana and Nassau, Bahamas and Okowa strongly believes, the friendship and good teamwork will be carried into the Senior African Championship in Douala, Cameroon and the Olympic Games in Paris, the French capital.
The list of Nigerian athletes effectively combining their studies and athletics include Ella Onojuvwevwo, Godson Oghenebrume, Favour Ashe, Opeyemi Oke, Samuel Ogazi, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Faith Okwese, Tima God-Bless and Imaobong Nse Uko.
Others who have also benefited from the well cut out program of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria are Ezekiel Nathaniel, Success Umukoro, Rosemary Chukwuma, Adeyemi Sikiru Adewale, Chidi Okezie and Omolara Ogunmakinju, just to mention but a few.
The success story of Team Nigeria Athletics is a combination of multiple factors that include the mixture of youth and experience, good coaching and other proactive measures put in place by the Federation.
“To prepare for the Olympics is a different ballgame, we have to start, you have to support the athletes, you have to make sure there is a way to give them little stipends for upkeep, so that they will be able to train.
“But before then, we will also start striving to see where we can get support for them, maybe from corporate bodies like Premium Trust Bank, we will see what we can get from them, so that we can at least get something for them,” He explained.
In the last one month, Nigerian athletes have been posting world class results and Personal Best’s. Tobi Amusan ran the first time this year at the Jamaica invitational. 12.40 seconds was her timing Saturday night in the women’s 10m hurdles.
Ezekiel Nathaniel returned a time of 48.00 in the 400m hurdles while Godson Oghenebrume’s 9.99 seconds in 100m, is causing some palpable fears in the minds of his rivals.
Youthful and talented Samuel Ogazi ran 44.58 seconds in the 400m to tell the world that ‘The New Kid on the Block’ has arrived and he is ready to fight for a place on the Podium in Douala and Paris. Adeyemi Sikiru Adewale and Chidi Okezie are equally matching their training with heart warming performances.
From all indications, athletics will likely account for Nigeria’s brightest medal prospect at the Games and athIetics will also have the largest number of members of Team Nigeria to Paris, if all goes well as planned.
