As athletes and officials look ahead to the National Trials billed for Benin City June 16-18, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) president, Tonobok Okowa has explained the clash in date with the Eld el Kabir celebrations.
The AFN National Trials is a selection meet for both the African Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon and the 2024 Paris Olympics Games.
The AFN had earlier fixed the National Trials for June 26 to 28 to meet the Olympics qualification deadline in the midnight of June 29, but the Confederations of African Athletics (CAA) moved the date for the African Senior Championships in Douala backward to June 21 to 26.
“The change in date of the African Senior Athletics Championships to June 21 to 26 affected our original plans for the AFN National Trials, and I hope our Muslim brothers and sisters will reason with us for this coincidental clash in the date with the Eid el Kabir celebration, Okowa told AFN Media on Tuesday.
“We held several meetings and did a lot of calculations trying to push the date forward from clashing with the Eld el Kabir celebration, but things didn’t work. The major reason being that the NCAA season will end in the U.S. on June 8 and a majority of our athletes will leave for their various bases within the United States the following day (June 9).
“They will rest for just one or two days, and depart U.S. on June 12 or June 13 to arrive in Nigeria on June 14 or 15.
“It is going to be a very tight schedule for the athletes, but there is nothing we can do about it because we are using the AFN National Trials to select Team Nigeria athletes for the African Senior Championships in Douala.
“As soon as the National Trials ends in Benin City on June 18, those who make the team will head to Lagos to catch their flight to Cameroon.
“As I said earlier, this clash in date with the Eld el Kabir celebration is not delibrate but a coincident. We have explained the situation to the athletes, particularly our beloved Muslim brothers and sisters and they see reasons with us,” Okowa stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of AFN’s Competitions Committee, Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (rtd) said that 2024 National Trials would be different from the past in terms of thrills and glamour.
“This is the year of Olympics Games in Paris, and it is the third time we are holding this National Trials at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. It is a coincident that this year’s edition is going to clash with the Eld Eld el Kabir celebration, but the AFN will make it very unique by deploying everything into it for sports lovers within Benin City and it’s environs to enjoy the three days of athletics carnival at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium,” Nesiama said.
The AFN has already sent out letters inviting States Athletics Associations, Military/Para-Military Organisations, all Institutions and Athletics Clubs, for the all-important National Trials in Benin City, Edo State.
