Excited AFN boss, Okowa thanks Amusan, Brume, others as Nigeria records all-time best at Common wealth Games

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

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria Tonobok Okowa was on cloud nine yesterday after track and field stars pushed Team Nigeria to an all-time best-ever record at the Commonwealth Games, thanks to the gold rush on Sunday.

A gold from World record breaker, Tobi Amusan, in the women’s 100m hurdles, a historic gold medal from women’s 4x100m quarter of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha and another Games record by long jumper, Ese Brume took Team Nigeria’s medal haul to 12 gold, the best in the history of Nigeria’s participation in the Games.

Speaking with The Guardian shortly after Brume delivered the long jump gold with her 7 00m jump, Okowa said; “I don’t know the appropriate word to describe this moment. I am on top of the world here in Birmingham. Help me to thank the athletes from Amusan to Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Grace Nwokocha, Ese Brume and all those that made Nigeria proud here in Birmingham.

“The journey has been very rough for athletics I must say, but I thank God for giving us this glorious outing. I will continue to do my best by giving the athletes morale and any kind of support they will need to do well at major championships. I thank the coaches and all those that contributed in one way or the other to that victory,” Okowa stated.

The gold medal won by the women’s 4x100m relay team on Sunday in Birmingham was the first for the country in 28 years. The quartet did the record-breaking in fashion, running 42.10 seconds to break the barely month old 42.22 seconds African record they set in Oregon, USA at the World Athletics championships on July 23.

World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion