Foreign-based athletes arrive for All-Nigeria Championships

Over 50 foreign-based athletes mostly from Europe and the United States of America have arrived in the country ahead of this week’s All-Nigeria Championships billed for Sapele, Delta State.

This year’s All-Nigeria Championships which will serve as the Olympic trials to select the athletes to represent Nigeria in Rio is expected to be keenly-contested as athletes across the world have paid their way through to get a chance to fight for places in the compact squad being planned by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria. 

“Yes, the athletes have started arriving; to show the zeal they have to represent this country. Over 50 of them paid for their flight tickets to be part of this year’s All-Nigeria Championships,” AFN Head of Media and Communication, Olukayode Thomas, said in a press statement.

Mr. Thomas further confirmed that the cream of Nigerian athletics will be present in Sapele including Queen of tracks and one of Nigeria’s medal hopeful in Rio, Blessing Okagbare as well as the likes of Gloria Asumnu and Seye Ogunlewe.

As earlier announced, the All-Nigeria Championships will hold on Thursday and Friday July 7-8 at the Sapele Township stadium while it will be closely followed by the Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) Grand Prix, Warri Relays on Saturday July 9 at the same venue.

Already the Relay teams from South Africa, Botswana, Ghana and other parts of the world have signified their interest to be part of the Warri Relays.

The AFN President, Solomon Ogba, in a recent chat with journalists said among other things the Warri Relays is targeted at putting the Nigeria relay team in good stead for a good show at the Rio Olympics.

“We are doing the relays because we have comparative advantage there to strive for medals. We are one of the very few countries that can boast of at least six average athletes in the short sprints, we must not lose sight of that advantage. The AFN boss submitted. 

It is on record that most of Nigeria’s medals at the Olympics have come from relay races and the country is hoping to explore the chance maximally in Rio.

AFN delegation visits Akraka family

A delegation from the AFN led by Mr. Ogba on Saturday visited the family of the federation’s former president, Smart Akraka, who died last month.

The delegation was received at the family house in Lagos by his widow Mrs. Akraka and other members of the family. The family wrote to AFN on Friday to formally notify the federation of the death of its president between 1994 and 1995.

Mr. Ogba recalled the late Mr. Akraka’s good work for Nigeria and the athletics family in Africa and the success he recorded on the track as an athlete which includes winning a Commonwealth relay medal in Cardiff, Wales.

He told the family that the AFN wanted to be fully involved in the burial.

Replying, Mrs. Akraka thanked the AFN delegation and promised to carry the federation along in the burial plans.

She disclosed that the late Akraka will be buried in Lagos and that the celebration of his life will begin July 14 and end on the 15.