AFN hopeful as Nigeria’s junior athletes seek glory in Peru

By Gowon Akpodonor

26 August 2024   |   4:28 americium

After a near-disastrous outing astatine Tokyo Olympics 3 years ago, Nigeria’s inferior athletes brought alleviation to the state by putting up outstanding performances astatine the World U-20 Athletics Championships successful Nairobi, Kenya. The state placed 3rd wide for the archetypal clip successful past astatine the championships conscionable a fewer months aft the Games.

 
That historical show successful Kenya successful 2021 brought the likes of Favour Ofili, Udodi Onwuzurike, and Godson Brume to the limelight. With Nigerians inactive lamenting the country’s dismal outing astatine the Paris 2024 Olympics, inferior athletes are embarking connected different journey, this clip to Lima, Peru, wherever the World U-20 Athletics Championships volition statesman connected August 28, 2024.
 
Leader of Nigeria’s contingent to Peru, United States -based AFN Performance Director, Victor Okorie, told The Guardian successful a telephone chat that helium is assured that the young athletes volition reconstruct the country’s pride.
 
In Peru, Team Nigeria volition diagnostic 15 athletes successful 14 events, including 100/200m, agelong jump, and 400m.  Okorie, who was successful Team Nigeria’s delegation to the Paris Olympics, said that the existent squad to Peru has tested athletes, who are susceptible of excelling among satellite stars. “I americium assured these inferior athletes volition springiness Nigeria medals. Some of them competed astatine the just-concluded Paris Olympic Games, and I americium definite they volition springiness their champion successful Peru.”
 
In 2022, Okorie, a erstwhile African Games metallic medallist, led Team Nigeria to the World Athletics Championships successful Oregon, Eugene, USA, wherever the duo of Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume won golden and metallic medals for Nigeria. Amusan acceptable a World Record of 12.12sec astatine that championships.
 
Ahead of the championships, Okorie said: “I task medals to travel successful 200m, 400m, agelong leap and our 4×400m relay. I americium precise optimistic due to the fact that we person athletes who are susceptible of making the podium successful Peru.”
 
Unlike the concern astatine the Nairobi 2021 World Championships, wherever Nigeria registered galore athletes, the concern is antithetic successful Peru. Okorie, who is South East zonal typical connected the existent AFN board, said it is bittersweet that Nigeria registered less athletes this clip astir successful Peru 2024, adding that the state should person taken much stars considering AFN’s quest for younker athletics development.

“This is the contention Nigerian inferior athletes had done supremely good successful the past; speech astir the likes of Deji Aliu, Seun Ogunkoya, Francis Obikwelu, Gloria Alozie, etc. They started their planetary vocation connected precocious astatine assorted satellite inferior championships. Nigeria did truthful good successful 2021 successful Kenya,” helium said.

 
The simplification successful the fig of athletes successful Peru, notwithstanding, Okorie hinted that the youngsters are successful precocious spirits and acceptable to vie fairly. AFN sources told The Guardian that 7 athletes, 2 coaches, and an adjunct caput from the federation’s secretariat are already successful Peru. Other athletes, who are based successful the United States, joined them astatine the weekend.
  
Meanwhile, World Athletics has listed 400m runner, Ella Onojuvwevwo, among favourites for the golden successful Lima.  The 19-year-old Onojuvwevwo is seeking to go the 5th Nigerian teen to triumph the women’s 400m lawsuit astatine the World U-20 Athletics Championships.
 
Onojuvwevwo, who was portion of Team Nigeria’s 4x400m relay astatine the Paris Olympics, is the 2nd fastest teen among the athletes that volition record retired for the opening circular heats of the lawsuit astatine the Estadio Atlético de la Videna, successful Lima. Only Czech Republic’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel has tally faster this twelvemonth (50.52) than the Nigerian with USA’s Michaela Mouton (50.96) completing the database of conscionable 3 athletes who person breached 51 seconds this year.
 
If she wins golden successful Peru, Onojuvwevwo volition go the 5th Nigerian aft Fatimah Yusuf (1990), Olabisi Afolabi (1994), Folashade Abugan (2008), and Imaobong Nse Uko (2021) to triumph the title. She volition besides privation to triumph arsenic the fastest Nigerian successful the past of the Championships.
 
Another jock to ticker retired for successful Team Nigeria’s squad to Peru 2024 is 200m runner, Justina Eyakpobeya. She was portion of the country’s contingent to Douala 2024 Africa Senior Athletics Championships, and the Paris 2024 Olympics.