Top Nigerian athletes home and abroad are heading to Benin City, the Edo State capital where the National Championships will unfold from June 16-18 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
World Record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobiloba Amusan, red hot sprinter Favour Ashe and high jump sensation, Temitope Adeshina are among top athletes already in Lagos for the event
As of Thursday evening, virtually all the foreign-based athletes have arrived in Nigeria for the event, which the AFN is using to pick the nation’s athletes for both the African Senior Championships to be held in Douala, Cameroon and the Paris Olympics.
Technical Director of the AFN, Samuel Onikeku revealed today that virtually all the top athletes were already in various hotels in Lagos, and the remaining are expected to arrive tomorrow.
“As of this morning, we already have a full house,” Onikeku said. “Tobi Amusan is in town, we have Ashe Favour, Temitope Adeshina and many of them.
We are expecting just a few more from the United States,” Onikeku stated.
Perhaps, one athlete many Nigerians will be watching out for at the National Trials at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City is record breaker, high jumper Temitope Adeshina.
Adeshina recently set a mark of 1.97m for National Record and Personal Best at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon in the United States.
In the sprint, all eyes will be on ‘fastest’ Favour Ofili in the women’s 100m and 200m as well as Favour Ashe, Godson Brume and Udodi Onwuzurike for the men.
The women’s long jump is another interesting event to watch, Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor will once again heat up the emerging rivalry as was seen during the African Games in March. Another interesting event to watch is the men’s 400m where Samuel Ogazi and Chidi Okezie are expected to show the crowd their new found form.
African Games champion, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will be the cynosure of all eyes in the shot put event.
According to Onikeku, the AFN advance team will hit Benin City Friday and put heads together with the Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, Olympian Yusuf Alli on arrangement for the National Trials.
AFN President Tonobok Okowa, said that the federation would pick only the best athletes, who are capable of winning medals for the country at the African Senior Championships in Douala.
“For years, we have been looking for a way to top the medals table in the African Senior Championships, and I think we have the chance to make history this year in Douala, Cameroon based on the caliber of stars we have.
We will pick only our best athletes in this National Trials not only for our trip to Cameroon but for the Paris Olympics,” Okowa stated
