The Board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) have concluded preparations to carry its first submit Paris 2024 Olympic Video games Congress this month.
The AFN had the best variety of athletes in Nigeria’s 88-man contingent to the Paris Olympics. Though Group Nigeria did not win a single medal on the Video games, the federation returned with some positives. These embrace the efficiency of U.S.-based sprinter, Favour Ofili, who made historical past as the primary Nigerian lady to achieve the 200m closing since Mary Onyali at Atlanta 1996 Video games.`
Additionally, quartermiler, Samuel Ogazi, additionally turned the primary Nigerian man to achieve the 400m closing since Seoul 1988 Olympics, as he set a brand new lifetime better of 44.41 seconds within the semifinal in Paris. And for the primary time in historical past of Nigeria’s participation on the Olympics, three Nigerian ladies jumpers, Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor, made the ultimate. Shot Putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi completed sixth in his occasion closing, simply as the lads’s 4x400m relay staff additionally made historical past by hitting the ultimate for the primary time in a few years, though they had been disqualified for lane violation.
In all, Nigeria had six finalists in monitor and subject alone on the Paris Olympics as in opposition to 4 at Tokyo 2020 and two at Rio 2016.
The Guardian learnt, yesterday, that majority of the board members, led by Tonobok Okowa, had already mounted November 30, 2024 for the Congress, the place a number of the points that affected the athletes on the Paris Video games can be addressed.
“We’re November 30 as date for the Congress,” one AFN board member informed The Guardian. “We’re nonetheless placing heads collectively on the place (venue) to carry the Congress, but when by subsequent week we’re unable to get an appropriate place, we would plead with our president (Okowa) to host the congress anyplace in Delta State.
“There are lots of points we have to trash out, notably, a number of the points that affected our athletes on the Paris Olympics and keep away from a repeat, as we sit up for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“We nonetheless should deliberate on another points like sponsorship drive for our varied programmes as a result of we don’t count on the federal government alone to supply all the things for all of the sporting federations. I’ve been informed that our advertising committee is engaged on a brand new title sponsor to switch or complement the previous one.
“Maybe, aside from soccer in Nigeria, athletics is the subsequent largest sports activities, and I don’t see any difficulties in getting a title sponsor for our programmes. This current AFN board has been very clear so far as points regarding funds are involved, although there are some unhealthy components inside who really feel all the things ought to come to them,” the board member stated.
On the date for subsequent AFN election, the board member stated. “I don’t know why some individuals are speaking about subsequent board election once we nonetheless have about eight months to go. This board got here into existence in June 2021, once we held our election in Abuja. So, our subsequent Board election will happen in June 2025.”
