Nigeria: African Athletics Championships – AFN Names 54 Athletes to Represent Nigeria in Mauritius

June 3, 2022 c_admin Athletics Comments Off on Nigeria: African Athletics Championships – AFN Names 54 Athletes to Represent Nigeria in Mauritius

Amusan, Brume, and Enekwechi are some of the top athletes chosen by the AFN to feature at the Championships in Mauritius.

Four reigning African champions, Tobiloba Amusan (100m hurdles), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Chioma Onyekwere (Discus Throw), and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) headline the list of 54 athletes who will represent Nigeria at the 22nd African Athletics Championships scheduled to hold between June 8 and 12, 2022 in Mauritius.

Amusan will compete in two individual events and the 4x100m relay.

She has been listed to compete in the women’s 100m alongside Godbless Tima Seikeseye and Praise Ofoku as well as in the 100m hurdles where she will defend the title she first won in Asaba four years ago at the 21st edition of the Championships.

Long jumper Ese Brume will be gunning for her fourth straight long jump title after winning in 2014, 2016, and 2018 while Onyekwere will be seeking her second Discus title after winning the gold medal four years ago in Asaba.

Shot Putter, Enekwechi will also be defending the event title he won in Asaba with a new 21.08m Championships record.

Also on the list are Orobosa Anabel Frank who is the top-ranked African so far this year in the women’s Shot Put with her 17.21m effort at the AFN All-Comers competition in Benin in March.

There are also Oyesade Olatoye in the women’s Hammer throw, Fadekemi Olude in the women’s 10km walk as well as Patience Okon George, bronze medal winner in the 400m event in 2014.

For the men, reigning African Games 100 champion, Raymond Ekevwo will lead Seye Ogunlewe and Nicholas Mabilo as Nigeria will seek to return to the podium as champions 12 long years after Olusoji Fasuba was crowned as the African speed king for the third straight time.

AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku says the athletes have been carefully selected based on their performances in both the local and international athletics circuits.

‘Some of our student-athletes in the United States of America like Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Imaobong Nse Uko, Favour Ashe, Udodi Onwuzurike, Nathaniel Ezekiel, Alaba Akintola, and Nnamdi Prosper have qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships scheduled to hold in Eugene, Oregon, USA between June 8 and 11, 2022.

“And will not be available for the African Athletics Championships hence the decision to pick the bulk of the team from athletes based at home,” said Mr Onikeku who assured the athletes selected will still do the nation proud in Mauritius.

Nigeria won a total of 20 medals made up of nine gold, five silver, and six bronze medals to finish third in the medal table behind Kenya and South Africa at the 21st edition held in Asaba, Delta.

The country however tops the all-time medal table with a total of 368 medals made up of 155 gold, 122 silver, and 91 bronze medals.

The 58-strong contingent

Women

100m: Godbless Seikeseye, Praise Ofoku, Tobi Amusan

200m: Praise Idamadudu, Godbless Seikeseye

400m: Patience Okon, Praise Idamadudu, Opeyemi Oke

100m hurdles: Tobi Amusan, Miracle Thompson, Joy Abu

400m hurdles: Abasiano Akpan, Sarah Ochigbo

Heptathlon: Kemi Francis

10km Racewalk: Fadekemi Olude

Discus: Choima Onyekwere, Obiageri Amechi, Princess Kara

Shot Put: Anabel Orobosa, Sade Olatoye

Hammer: Sade Olatoye, Queen Obisesan

High jump: Temitope Adesina

Triple jump: Mercy Honesty, Onara Obamuwagun

Long jump: Ese Brume, Ruth Agadama

4x100m: Godbless Seikeseye, Tobi Amusan, Praise Ofoku, Ese Brume, Ruth Agadama, Yakubu Bilikis, Joy Abu

4x400m: Patience Okon, Ella Onojuvwewo, Opeyemi Deborah Oke, Praise Idamadud, Osunobun Queen, Osaretin Joy Usunbor, Joy Abu

Men

100m: Seye Ogunlewe, Raymond Ekewvwo, Nicholas Mabilo