AFN Reconfirms April 5th - 6th For Olukoya Juniors

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has reconfirmed next Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5 and 6 for the National Under-16 and Under-18 Athletics Championships scheduled to hold at the Sports Complex of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

Secretary General of the AFN, Mrs. Maria Wophill said that letters of the new dates for the junior championships named after Dr. D. K. Olukoya, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles have already been dispatched.

 “We are using this medium to call on all athletics clubs, schools and states that sent in entries previously before the shift in dates to reconfirm their participation to help our logistics,” observed the former handball player.

While assuring athletes and officials coming for the junior meet of subsidized stay in Lagos, the AFN scribe insisted that there is no room for athletes competing for paramilitary bodies like the police, customs, immigration, civil defense etc.

“Any athlete representing forces and Para-military forces like the Civil Defense, Customs, Police etc are no longer going to be allowed to compete in Under-16 and Under-18 championships any more. So, we are starting to enforce the rule with the Dr. D. K Olukoya National Under-18 Championship slated for April 5 and 6 in Lagos. It is one of the ways in which we hope will stamp out cheating from junior competitions. Henceforth, we want junior competitions for juniors. It is one of the ways of truly stamping out over-aged athletes from junior events,” stressed the AFN scribe.

AFN Concentrating On Olympic Games Preparations- Bada

The Technical/Performance Director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Sunday Bada has said the major concern of the federation is to organize series of training programmes that will enhance the athlete’s medal winning prospect and make Nigeria proud at the 2012 Olympic Games in England.

The former sprinter said the Federation knows its area of strength in the All African Games billed for Mozambique and would not relent in their efforts to top the medal table in the athletics event, stressing that the best athletes at the Games would represent Nigeria at the World Athletics Championship.

Bada said the AFN has concluded plans to invite its best athletes to participate in the World Athletics Championship which according to him would serve as an avenue to put Nigerian athletes to test ahead of the Olympic Games.

He said the AFN was working seriously on its area of strength especially in the Relay event so as to sustain its records in the Olympic Games and also to put their wards in competition mood to win laurels at international tournaments.

Oyo Assures Athletes Payment Of Backlog Salaries

Succor will this week come the way of Oyo State Athletes and Coaches who were owed backlog of salaries and allowances.

The acting General Manager of Oyo State Sports Council Mrs. Folake

Oyelakin said that arrangement have been concluded to commence the pay this week.

Oyo Athletes camping ahead of the coming National Sports Festival slated for Rivers State were groaning in hunger, due to four months salaries been owed them by their employers.

Oyelakin who pleaded with the athletes said the development was never intentional, but the delay came as a result of bureaucratic bottleneck the agency experience recently.

She said the Governor of the State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala has given his words concerning the welfare of athletes, that it should be giving a priority to get the best out of them.

“We have appealed to our athletes to bear with us, as all their monies will be paid this week, our Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala is a sports lover, and he had demonstrated that to the athletes on many occasions by appreciating their efforts through monetary incentives each time they do the state proud”, Oyelakin noted.

Athletes To Get Presidential Reward Saturday

The long delayed presidential reward to Nigeria athletes will eventually come to pass if information reaching here is anything to go by.

According to a report, athletes who did well for Nigeria in 2009 and 2010 will be rewarded by President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, the 26th of March 2011, four months after at the Banquet Hall, in Aso Rock, Abuja.

A total of 13 national teams are involved in the reception which was postponed indefinitely last December.

A committee was set up by the Federal Government to look into the reward system of the country and the recommendation of the body is what Mr. President is expected to implement on Saturday.

President Jonathan is expected to reward those athletes to encourage them to do more and to also make other athletes aspire for success in international events.

Those involved are the national teams to the U-17 FIFA World Youth Championship, Nigeria 2009,

the 19th Commonwealth Games, Delhi 2010, the U-20 Women World Championship, Germany 2010, the1st Youth Olympic Games, Singapore 2010, the African Women Football Championship, South Africa 2010, the Africa Scrabble Championship, Ghana 2010, the World Junior Athletics Championship, Canada 2010 and the Africa Athletics Championship, Kenya 2010,

Others are the athletes to the All Africa Senior Badminton Championship, Kenya 2010, the World Wrestling Championship, Russia 2010, the African Junior Wrestling Championship, Egypt 2010, the African Senior Wrestling Championship, Egypt 2010 and the African Junior Weightlifting Championship, Egypt 2010.

Ogunmola Clocks 1.18 seconds In 600m

Nairobi 2010 Africa Championships silver medalist, Ogunmola Tobi set a personal best time of 1. 18 seconds in the 600meter dash thereby creating the All Comers 600meters record over the weekend at the Shagamu stadium, Ogun State.

The senior athlete, who commended the Athletics Federation of Nigeria for the All Comers Championship which he described as a good initiative for talent hunting, also predicted a good outing for Nigeria in 2011.

“I was over joy when I saw that I have gotten the All Comers best time and a personal best.  

“The All Comers thing is a good initiative, we only beg for sponsorship because Nigeria is full with raw talents and I am very positive this year will be a prosperous athletics year if all hands are on deck for optimum and good performance.”

“I did not take part in the first All Comers but when I saw the time by Onakoya Abiola who had the fastest 600m time, I decided to take part in the 2^nd All Comers and try as much as possible to beat his time and I did it.” 

Meanwhile, Coach Uzoamaka Eddoh, who coaches Tobi Ogunmola said with proper training, Tobi will run 46.1sec in the Golden League coming up soon.

It would be recalled that Onakoya Abiola had the fastest All Comers time in the 600meters with a personal best of 1.18.80 seconds while Ogunmola did 1.18.70seconds during the weekend to stand as the new 600meters record holder.

Athletes Bemoan Change Of Venue Of 2nd All Comers

Some of the athletes that partook in the 2^nd Athletics Federation of Nigeria 2^nd All Comers championship at the Gateway Stadium in Shagamu over the weekend have re echoed the lack of cohesion in Nigeria.

The athletes who don’t want their names in print said scheduling the 2^nd All Comers in two locations was in the first place an error. They said after spending money to Ijebu Ode, they were surprised when they were told on Thursday evening that the event has been moved to Shagamu.

“I think it is high time we do things right in Nigeria, I don’t think it is right for the AFN to take us to Ijebu Ode and later said the event has been shifted to Shagamu that is not right at all.” “Most of the athletes here are suffering and the little we have should be spent on other things and not transporting for one venue to another,” said a junior athlete.

A former national athlete who graces the event as a spectator said the AFN should consider the hardship most of these athletes are going through and help them by scheduling events in venues that will help ameliorate their conditions.

Meanwhile, an official of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria who also don’t want name in print said Shagamu was later considered because of the basic amenities it has compared to Ijebu ode.

The official said at the Ijebu ode venue, there is no water, accommodation will be a big problem for the athletes and the astro turf pitch all contributed to the change of the venue.

It would be recalled that the 2^nd All Comers was scheduled to take place at the Ijebu Ode stadium and the Gateway stadium in Shagama, Ogun State but was later taken to Shagamu Gateway stadium.

All Comers, Sign Of Good Things To Come - Suleiman

Coach Tunde Suleiman has hailed the introduction of the All Comers Meet by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria stating that it is a good sign that the federation is thinking about improving the standard of performance of the athletes.

"The All Comers offers us coaches and athletes the opportunity to gauge just how far we have prepared for the season.

“The competition is good for us, now we can go back and work on the areas where we need to improve,” said Suleiman, a former national long jumper.

He said from what he saw in the All Comers, there is hope that the athletes will do well in the season. However, he noted that the male athletes are lagging behind in their events and they need to do more to improve.

“I saw some promise from female athletes like Margaret Etim, Bukola Abogunloko, and Blessing Ibrahim who jumps. If they can sustain their form, I see them doing well in the season ahead. Like the men, Toby Ogumola and Onakoya Abiola did well but they need to improve more on their speed,” said Suleiman.