President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa is still in celebration mood following the superlative performance of Team Nigeria at the 2024 World Athletics Relays in Bahamas.
“I am so glad our athletes got the four tickets in Bahamas,” Okowa told AFN Media shortly after the men’s 4x100m, made up of Udodi Onwuzurike, Ekanem Emmanuel, Alaba Akintola and Karlington Anunagba punched their ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Okowa, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, stayed awake all through the night to watch and cheer the athletes to victory.
“I salute the athletes, the coaches, my board members, sport’s ministry officials and all those who made this victory in Bahamas possible,” Okowa stated.
After winning two tickets on Day one of tte World Athletics Relays in Bahamas, Nigerian athletes ensured the job was completed on Sunday night, picking two more tickets in women and men’s 4x100m Relay.
Both teams had missed the tickets on Saturday night.
The victory ensured the Men’s team return to the Olympics after 16 year absence, just as the women will make their ninth straight appearance.
First to secure a passage to Paris is the women’s 4x100m team led by Nigeria’s 200m indoor and outdoor record holder, Favour Ofili.
In the absence of World Record holder in the 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, who could not make the trip to the Caribbean Island, Ofili ran an incredible second leg to get Nigeria into a great position with reigning National Sports Festival double sprint champion, Tima Godbless anchoring home in first position (42.71) ahead of Switzerland who picked the second automatic ticket in the third qualifying heat. The success by the ladies challenged the men.
Running without two of the nation's best sprinters at the moment, Ashe Favour and Godson Brume, Udodi Onwuzurike, Ekanem Emmanuel, Alaba Akintola and Karlington Anunagba who replaced Seye Ogunlewe ensured they did not fall twice as they coasted home in second place (38.57) behind Ghana (38.29) to pick the second autoamtic ticket to Paris. It will be a straigh nineth appearance for the women at the Games, who are punctuated by two podium appearances in 1992 (bronze) and 2008 (silver), it is a return to the big stage for the men since 2008 in Beijing, China where the quartet of Onyeabor Ngwogu, Obinna Metu, Chinedu Oriala and Uchenna Emedolu failed to finish in the very first heat of the competition.
Nigeria had picked two tickets on Day one of the World Relays on Saturday in the men's 4x400m and the mixed relay, with Chidi Okezie the hero.For Okowa, the success in Bahamas was as a result of the board’s determination to put Nigeria on the global map at the Paris Olympics after about two decades of the triumph at Atlanta ’96 Olympics.
“In anything we do today, we have to put God first,” Okowa said. “Despite the fact that things are hard, some of my board members and I have resolved to forge ahead. There are some who are interested in finding faults in whatever we do, but God has been faithful to us. We will continue to do our best for Nigeria athletics.
He continues; “NIgerians saw what we did at the last African Games in Ghana. Our next step will be Cameroon for the African Senior Championships. We will give our athletes the best of preparation for the Paris Olympics. We will also ensure that the women’s 4x400m team gets the ticket to Paris to make it 5/5. But the AFN needs fund to achieve its dream of making a podium finish at the Paris Olympics,” Okowa stated.
Under the Okowa’s administration as AFN President, Nigerian athletics has been on the rise, with athletes creating more records than ever before. From Tobi Amusan’s world record in the 100 100m hurdles to Ese Brume, and records set by some male athletes, the list is endless.