By Uzor Odigbo
Vintage athletes from home and abroad are expected to converge on the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin City, venue of the prestigious 2024 National Athletics Championship.
The event, scheduled for 16 to 18 June 2024 provides the athletes a chance of making Team Nigeria to two major upcoming competitions – the Paris Olympic Games and the Douala African Seniors Athletics Championships.
In recent months, Nigerian athletes based in Europe and America have been delivering impressive performances on the track and in field events.
At the NCAA Championship finals, Temitope Adeshina broke the national record in the women’s high jump with a leap of 1.97m, a feat that has excited top coach Kola Adeboye, who believes she can surpass the 2.00m mark before the Olympics.
The women’s long jump event is shaping up to be a thrilling contest, with Olympic bronze medalist Ese Brume facing a stern challenge from Prestina Ochonogor, the gold medalist at the recent CAA Region 2 Championship in Accra.
The men’s 100m race will be a showdown between three U.S.-based athletes, Favour Ashe, Kanyinsola Ajayi, and Godson Brume, who have all run under 10 seconds, and two local stars, Consider Ekanem and Isreal Okon, who will be eager to prove their worth on home soil.
The women’s 100m event is loaded with talented and experienced athletes, including Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Tima Godbless, who will be challenged by the likes of home favorite Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan, the gold medalist at the CAA Region 2 Championship.
World record holder and the fastest runner in the women’s 100m, Tobi Amusan, will be up against recently crowned West African queen, Faith Osamuyi, while the men’s 400m is a three-way event with Samuel Ogazi, home boy CAA Region 2 gold medalist Emmanuel Ojeli, and Chidi Okezie, one of the game changers during the 13th African Games.
Other thrilling events to watch out for include the men’s 400m, women’s hurdles, and the men’s 200m races, where the likes of Samuel Ogazi, Emmanuel Ojeli, and Chidi Okezie will be vying for top honors.
The Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Samuel Onikeku, has emphasized the importance of the National Trials, stating that the federation has zero tolerance when it comes to selecting members of Team Nigeria Athletics.
For the chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli, he’s assured that they were ready to welcome the athletes and spectators to the event, with the promise of an entertaining and well-organized championship.
The AFN is also preparing a grand welcome for the over 25 foreign-based athletes who will be competing in Benin City, acknowledging their commitment and determination to succeed in their careers
