Amusan leads relay groups to China
The Secretary Common of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Israel Inwang, has dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the Elite Improvement and Podium Board, arrange by the Nationwide Sports activities Fee (NSC), single-handedly picked beneficiaries of the elite athletes’ $20,000 coaching grants.
The Guardian reported, yesterday, that the NSC in its effort in the direction of constructing a formidable Crew Nigeria for the 2026 Commonwealth Video games in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA, has made good its promise to pay coaching grants of $20,000 to elite athletes.
The report additionally indicated {that a} complete of 78 Nigerian athletes throughout all main sporting federations are beneficiaries of the grants, with 38 of them picked from observe and area.
However the report elicited criticism from some stakeholders, who alleged that the Yusuf Ali-led Elite Improvement and Podium Board single-handedly picked the benefiting athletes with out informing board members within the numerous sports activities federations.
In addition they alleged that observe and area athletes certified for the coaching grants are “grossly lower than 20 (residence and overseas), suggesting that the Elite Improvement and Podium Board could also be performing some soiled offers with the variety of athletes listed.
“Nigeria doesn’t have 38 lively skilled elite athletes that can profit from coaching grants. Yusuf Ali’s committee shouldn’t be AFN. He can’t simply choose elite athletes with out liaising with the Federation. I don’t assume we have now as much as 10 athletes which can be high ranked to be referred to as elite,” one of many stakeholders mentioned.
Nonetheless, Inwang mentioned in a message to The Guardian, yesterday, that the board adopted due course of in choosing the athletes. Additionally talking with on the difficulty, Yusuf Ali, mentioned: “Solely a sadist will choose holes in what we have now completed to this point. Within the first place, the AFN and different sports activities federations are below the NSC. As head of the Elite Improvement and Podium Board, step one I took in choosing the elite athletes was to have a look at their efficiency, competitions they participated in and their ages.
“Then, I met with the technical administrators and a few high coaches within the AFN, weightlifting and all the opposite sports activities federations. Whereas evaluating the listing, I found that a few of the athletes listed by the coaches received’t be of profit to Nigeria.
“For example, the technical director in one of many sports activities federations penciled down an athlete who’s already 34 years outdated. By the point of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, such athlete will likely be 38 years outdated. I additionally observed one other athlete who has not attended a significant competitors within the final two or three years. We’ve got to drop these athletes from the listing.
“The elite athletes benefiting from the NSC coaching grants are in several classes. Some are in Class A, others are in Class B, and a few in Class C. As we converse, the NSC has began disbursement of coaching grants to the athletes and they’re so excited as a result of that is the primary time they’re getting such large sum of money from the nation to deal with sure issues.
“We don’t want to attend for competitors time earlier than giving out athletes coaching grants. Pretty much as good as our intention are, I do know that there are some individuals who will need to frustrate the method however the management of the NSC received’t hearken to them as a result of such folks don’t imply effectively for the nation,” Ali acknowledged.
In the meantime, world file holder within the ladies’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, is amongst athletes picked to fly Nigeria’s flag on the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China.
Others are Favour Ofili, Tiana Eyakpobeyan, Rosemary Chukwuma, Endurance Okon-George, Omolara Ogunmakinju, Success Umukoro and Jennifer Chukwuka. The lads’s listing has Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Usheoritse Itsekiri, Alaba Akintola, Karlington Anunagbo, Chidi Okezie, Samson Nathaniel, and Emmanuel Ojeli.
Nigeria will characteristic in 4 relay occasions, 4x100m relay (women and men), 4x100m combined relay and 4x400m combined relay. The 4x400m relay squad is ignored from 2025 World Athletics Relays holding on the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, China between Could 10 and 11, which is the final main occasion for the present AFN board earlier than the federations’ elections subsequent month.
