Mauritius-bound athletes open camp at NIS as Okowa visits team

Home-based athletes listed for the 22nd African Athletics Championships holding in Mauritius are expected to gather at the National Institute For Sports (NIS), Lagos, today.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), on Tuesday, picked 54 athletes, including four African champions, Tobiloba Amusan (100m hurdles), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Chioma Onyekwere (Discus Throw) and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) for the competition, which will hold between June 8 and 12.

The Guardian, learnt yesterday that the athletes and invited coaches would spend four days at the NIS before departing for Mauritius on June 6.

A source told The Guardian that AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, would hold a brief meeting with the athletes and their coaches at the NIS camp tomorrow.

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 is set to defend the title she first won at the 21st edition of the Championships in Asaba four years ago.

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

Shot Putter, Enekwechi will also be defending the event’s 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, 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