Nigerian athletes arrive for AFN National Trials in Benin   

Nigerian athletes arrive for AFN National Trials in Edo   

 

Nigerian athletes based abroad have started arriving in the country in preparation for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) National Trials slated for Benin City on Wednesday.

 

Some of the early birds are the Trojans who set lifetime bests at the just-ended NCAA outdoor championships and are prepared to showcase their current form in Benin en route to Budapest, Hungary this August at the World Athletics Championships.

 

The Early arrivals for the Trials include Udodi Onwuzurike Who ran new lifetime bests in the 100m (9.92) and 200m (19.76) in June. Also in Lagos, en route to Benin is Godson Oghenebrume with a  9.90secs  in the 100m achieved also at the NCAA Championship.

 

Last year’s 100m Champion in Benin indomitable sprinter, Favour Ashe is coming to the trials with an improved personal best in the 100m to (9.96) while Nathaniel Ezekiel who finished inside 49 seconds consistently at the Championships to finish third in the 400m hurdles will attempt to repeat or surpass his performance to book a slot to Budapest Worlds.

 

Benin-bound Rosemary Chukwuma and Favour Ofili also made it to the final of the 100m and 200m at the NCAA championship respectively, points to their rising profile since 2021 to show their feat was not a happenstance.

 

World Champion and Stockholm Diamond League winner in the 100mh Tobi Amusan is been expected later today.

 

For the first time in history, Nigeria had produced three sprinters that break 10 seconds in the event the same year and chances are Nigeria could have one or two more to do that before the end of the outdoor season.

 

All this sprinting prowess would be on display at the National Trials in Benin.

 

Tobi Amusan is on course to add glamour to the National Trials in her preparations to successfully defend the World 100m hurdles title she won last year at Oregon, US.

 

Although, the 5th position long jump in the Stockholm diamond league, Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro jumped a good distance at the trials would enable two Nigerians to make the podium in an individual event for the first time in Budapest.

On the home front, No fewer than 10 reigning Africa U18 and U20 champions will be in action when the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) organised Trials come on stream in Benin City on Wednesday.

 

The athletes will be led by Samuel Uchenna Ogazi who successfully completed a 200m and 400m double at the Ndola, Zambia Africa Youth Championships with a 46.01 Championships record as the icing on his cake.

 

National Sports Festival double sprint silver medalist, Faith Okwose also successfully ran a sprint double at the Ndola event and would attempt to compete for a slot at the Trials.

 

At the AFN Golden League also in Benin a fortnight ago, Ogazi leads the men’s 400m lineup with 20 points, four ahead of second-placed Chidera Johnson. This points to the fact that home-based Athletes would be determined to fight for Budapest.

 

Johnson has remained unbeaten in the local athletics circuit so far this season and will want to prove that his performance so far has not been by a fluke.

 

Ogazi with the duo of Sikiru Adeyemi who holds a personal best of 45.93 and Samson Nathaniel the two-time Nigeria 400m champion may ruffle feathers at the trials.

 

In the women’s 100m, Okwose, 17, who set two championships records on her way to winning the 100m and 200m titles at the African U18 championships will go head to head with Praise Ofoku, the 20-year-old who ran in the final of the World U20 championships in Nairobi, Kenya in 2021.

 

In the men’s 100m, it may be a battle between 18-year-old as Kanyinsola Ajayi, the reigning African U20 champion will be up against Sunday Akitan, who incidentally holds a 5-1 head-to-head record against the African champion.

 

Reigning National Sports Festival 100m champion, Fakorede Adekalu was 20 on June 28 will be seeking to prove he still has the big occasion temperament that fetched him the blue rib band gold in Asaba last December.

 

However, the foreign legion may have an overwhelming edge owing to exposure, it’s however believed that every Competition has its shocks and surprises and this may be a determinant factor for most athletes in Benin.