Ojokolo, Usifo Lead AFN Coaches -As Camp Opens For Youth Championship

The Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has set plans in motion towards the country’s participation in this month’s 1st African Youth Athletics Championship in Warri, Delta State, with athletes and coaches named for the national camp in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The array of coaches, each for a specialized event, is led by well-exposed female former athletes, Endurance Ojokolo and Maria Usifo, who will join 15 other experts in grooming a list of 62 athletes at the IAAF High Level Performance Centre, at University of Port Harcourt.
This development is coming hot on the heels of the 3rd Dr. Olukoya U-18 Athletics Championship last weekend in Lagos, as the AFN has invited 62 athletes and 17 officials to camp in The Garden City.
A release from the federation notified the invited athletes to report to camp Tuesday with their international passports, as they will quickly start preparation for the Africa Youth Athletics Championship holding from the 27th of March to 1st of April at Warri City Stadium.
The listed officials include Odia Leonard (hurdles), Steve Nuhu (long distance), Lati Obisesan (throws/race walk/multi-event), Maria Usifo (hurdles), Isaac Ikhabome (short sprints), Saheed Akinpelu (long sprints) and Emilia Oyase (jumps).
Others are Tom Nnakwe (hurdles), Saheed Alabi (distance running), Owiviri Edirin (high jump), Endurance Ojokolo (short sprints), George Ezenwa Obiano (triple jump), Tunde Sulaiman (long Jump/triple jump), Seigha Porbeni (jumps monitor), Brown Ebewele (sprints/multi -event monitor).
The AFN statement disclosed further that the best two of athletes of every event during the Olukoya under-18 championship in Lagos got invitations to the camp, where Jide Joshia will serve as commandant and AFN technical director, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama will also be present.
The athletes will remain at the high performance center in Port Harcourt in preparation for the continental championship that will see about 33 African countries participate in different events.