AFN Lists Brume, Amusan, Others For African Athletics Championships
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has listed 53 athletes for the 22nd African Athletics Championships, led by Ese Brume, Tobi Amusan, Chioma Onyekwere and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, with the tournament scheduled to hold between June 8 and 12, 2022, in Mauritius.
Amusan will be competing in two individual events and the 4x100m relay. She will also compete in the women’s 100m alongside Godbless Seikeseye and Praise Ofoku, as well as in the 100m hurdles where she will be defending the title she first won in Asaba four years ago at the 21st edition of the championships.
Chioma Onyekwere will be seeking her second Discus title after clinching the gold medal four years ago in Asaba. Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, Ese Brume will be gunning for a fourth straight long jump title after winning in 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Shot Putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will also be defending the event’s title he won in Asaba with a new 21.08m Championships record. Also on the list is Orobosa 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;
The list also features Oyesade Olatoye in the women’s Hammer throw; Fadekemi Olude in the women’s 10km walk; and Patience Okon George, bronze medal winner in the 400m event in 2014.
For the men, reigning African Games 100m champion Raymond Ekevwo will lead Seye Ogunlewe and Nicholas Mabilo as Nigeria will be seeking to return to the podium as champions, 12 years after Olusoji Fasuba was crowned the African speed king for the third straight time.
AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, said the athletes have been carefully selected based on their performances in both the local and international athletics circuit. He gave assurances that the athletes selected would do the nation proud in Mauritius.
“Some of our student athletes in the United States like Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Imaobong 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,” said Onikeku
“They will not be available for the African Athletics Championships, hence the decision to pick the bulk of the team from athletes based at home.”
Nigeria tops the all-time medals table with a total of 368 medals made up of 155 Gold, 122 Silver, and 91 Bronze medals.
At the 21st edition in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria won a total of 20 medals made up of nine Gold, five Silver and six Bronze medals to finish third on the medals table behind Kenya and South Africa.
Complete List Of Nigerian Athletes
WOMEN 100M
Godbless Tima Seikeseye, Praise Ofoku, Tobi Amusan
WOMEN 200M
Praise Idamadudu, Godbless Tima Seikeseye
WOMEN 400M
Patience Okon, Praise Idamadudu, Opeyemi Oke
WOMEN 100M HURDLES
Tobi Amusan, Miracle Thompson, Joy Abu
WOMEN 400M HURDLES
Abasiano Akpan, Sarah Ochigbo.
WOMEN HEPTATHLON
Kemi Francis
WOMEN 10KM RACEWALK
Fadekemi Olude
WOMEN DISCUS
Choima Onyekwere, Obiageri Amechi, Princess Kara
WOMEN SHOT PUT
Anabel Orobosa, Sade Olatoye
WOMEN HAMMER
Sade Olatoye, Queen Obisesan
WOMEN HIGH JUMP
Temitope Adesina
WOMEN TRIPLE JUMP
Mercy Honesty
Onara Obamuwagun
WOMEN LONG JUMP
Ese Brume, Ruth Agadama.
WOMEN 4X100M
Godbless Tima Seikeseye, Tobi Amusan, Praise Ofoku, Ese Brume, Ruth Agadama, Yakubu Bilikis, Joy Abu.
WOMEN 4X400M
Patience Okon, Ella Onojuvwewo, Opeyemi Deborah Oke, Praise Idamadudu, Osunobun Queen, Osaretin Joy Usunbor, Joy Abu.
MEN 100M
Seye Ogunlewe, Raymond Ekewvwo, Nicholas Mabilo.
MEN 200M
Fakorede Nicholas Adekalu, Chidi Okezie.
MEN 400M
Samson Nathaniel, Adeyemi Sikiru, Chidera Johnson.
MEN 110M HURDLES
Prosper Ekporere, Abejoye Oyeniyi, Alex Al-Ameen
MEN 400M HURDLES
Rilwan Alowonle
MEN DECATHLON
Osadolor Samuel
MEN DISCUS
Ugeoke Vicent
MEN JAVELIN
Adams Kure Samuel
MEN SHOT PUT
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Dotun Ogundeji.
MEN LONG JUMP
Tobechukwu Emmanuel, Nwokpcha Ineh Emmanuel Oritsemeyiwa.
MEN TRIPLE JUMP
Kalu Chidozie Ikenga
MEN HIGH JUMP
David Aya
MEN 4X100M
Seye Ogunlewe, Raymond Ekwevwo, Oghene Ogho Egwero, Fakorede Nicholas Adekalu, Mabilo Nicholas, Karlington Anunagba.
4X400M
Samson Nathaniel, Adewale Sikiru, Nnamani Johnson, Chidera Ayo, Toritseju Adeola, Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ojeli, Chidi Okezie.
4X400M MIXED RELAY
Nathaniel Samson, Ifeanyi Ojeli, Sikiru Adeyemi, Patience Okon, Opeyemi Oke, Idamadudu Praise.
Chidi Nwoke/AFN.