AFN foresees excellent outing for athletes at Olympics

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa

Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) President, Tonobok Okowa, believes that Team Nigeria athletes will live up to expectations when the battle for medals begin at the Paris 2024 Olympics Games later this year.

Okowa, who is in Accra, Ghana, attending the ongoing 13th African Games, is confident the athletics team will surpass its projections at the Games.

On Wednesday, Nigerian athletes outperformed their opponents, harvesting majority of the event’s gold medals at the University of Ghana Stadium. On a single day, Nigeria won four gold and one silver medal.

An elated Okowa stated after the 4x100m relay team event, where Nigeria cleared the available gold medals in the men and women’s races, that he is sure of a brilliant outing at Paris Olympics.

He promised that after the African Games, the athletics team would be made stronger ahead of the Paris Olympics.

“Many of our athletes are in school in the United States, and they are very hot. They are not here for the African Games. By the time they join this team, it is going to be difficult for us to select who to represent Nigeria. It is good for such stiff competition among them, but we will get the best squad possible for the Olympics,” he said.

Apart from two gold medals won by the duo of thrower, Enekwechi Chukwuebuka and triple jumper, Ruth Usoro, on day three of the athletics event, Team Nigeria grabbed four gold medals in the relays, 4×100m men and women, 100m hurdle through Tobi Amusan and Chidi Okezie in the 400m men. Esther Elo Joseph got silver in the women’s 400m.

To Okowa, more medals will come for Team Nigeria in Ghana. “I think we will surpass the target that was put at the beginning. Let’s see