The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Athletics Federation of Nigeria

  • AFN names  Asaba’s Stephen Keshi Stadium as camp base

    AFN names  Asaba’s Stephen Keshi Stadium as camp base

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has selected the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, as the official camping base for home-based athletes preparing for major national and international championships.

    The camp will serve as the launch pad for Team Nigeria’s preparations for a packed calendar that includes the World Relays Championship in Gaborone, Botswana in May, the Senior Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Championships in Accra, Ghana, the CAA Region II Senior Championships in Dakar, Senegal, as well as the World Junior Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States.

    AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, led an inspection tour of the facilities alongside the Federation’s Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, the federation’s scribe Israel Inwang and the Athletes’ Representative.

    The visit was aimed at ensuring that the stadium and supporting infrastructure meet the standards required for high-performance training ahead of the crucial competitions.

    A major boost to the camping programme is the support of the Delta State Government, with Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori approving the use of the facilities at the Stephen Keshi Stadium free of charge. The gesture further reinforces Delta State’s reputation as a strong supporter of sports development in Nigeria.

    The camping exercise, according to the AFN, will be conducted in phases and closely supervised by the federation’s Technical Committee to ensure effective monitoring, proper conditioning and gradual build-up of athletes across different events and age categories.

    Addressing athletes expected to be called up, Okowa assured them of the federation’s full commitment to their welfare and overall success, stressing that creating a stable and supportive environment remains a top priority of the current administration.

    Speaking to journalists after the inspection, the AFN president, who also serves as Vice President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), disclosed that the federation has already submitted a comprehensive response to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) regarding queries on age discrepancies involving some under-18 and under-20 athletes.

    Read Also: Ladipo: NFF interference killing Football Supporters Club

     “It will take some time for the AIU to respond to our report, but I am confident of a positive outcome. The exercise we have embarked upon is a continuous process,” Okowa said.

    He also issued a stern warning to coaches who may be involved in, or encouraging, sharp practices, urging them to desist or face serious sanctions from the federation.

    According to him, the AFN remains determined to uphold integrity and credibility in Nigerian athletics.

    On the report submitted by the AFN probe panel, Okowa revealed that the board would soon convene to thoroughly examine and deliberate on the findings, as part of efforts to strengthen governance and transparency within the sport.

    The AFN president concluded by commending the Delta State Government and the Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Onoriode Joshua Oborevwori, for their hospitality and support, describing Asaba as a welcoming and conducive environment for Nigeria’s athletes as they prepare to fly the nation’s flag on the continental and global stage.

  • Age-cheats: AFN  affirms zero tolerance for breaches with swift probe  

    Age-cheats: AFN  affirms zero tolerance for breaches with swift probe  

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has moved swiftly to address fresh concerns surrounding the credibility of age-grade athletics in the country, launching an urgent investigation into alleged conflicting birth dates of athletes at the 2025 African U-18 and U-20 Championships held in Abeokuta.

    The development follows a formal query from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics, which flagged several Nigerian athletes for suspected discrepancies in their registered ages.

    The AIU has requested a detailed explanation from the AFN, prompting immediate action from the federation’s leadership.

    Read Also: Chukwueze happy with life at Fulham

    In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja, AFN Secretary-General, Israel Inwang, revealed that AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, has ordered a comprehensive probe into the matter. He stressed that the reputation of Nigerian athletics remains a top priority and must be protected at all costs.

    Chief Okowa—renowned for his uncompromising stance against age manipulation—disclosed that a special investigative committee will be officially inaugurated  and saddled  with the task of identifying the facts, scrutinizing all implicated cases and recommending sanctions for any athlete or official found culpable.

     “We must protect the integrity of the sport and the image of Nigeria,” Okowa reiterated. “I have always championed fairness in age-grade competitions, and I do not want to believe that our athletes or officials are involved. But we will get to the bottom of this.”

    The AFN’s firm response underscores its determination to preserve Nigeria’s global image in athletics, safeguard the future of young athletes, and enforce strict compliance with international integrity regulations.

  • AFN boosts  South West Athletics Conference with  N1million

    AFN boosts  South West Athletics Conference with  N1million

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has backed the inaugural South West Athletics Conference, commencing  today in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with a sun of  one million naira.

    AFN President Tonobok Okowa commended the region’s leadership for initiating this conference and encouraged other regions to follow suit. He said the money is to facilitate the event’s smooth organization.

    Enefiok Udo-Obong, Secretary of the Organizing Committee, highlighted the conference’s objectives.

    He said: “One key aim is to elevate athletics activities in the South West region. Recognizing the region’s historical success in producing national athletes, the conference aims to rejuvenate talent development.

    “Over the past three years, the South West zone has been a hub for athletics competitions in Nigeria.

    Read Also: AFN thrilled over Amusan, 4x100m Relay Gold

    The conference seeks to create a program that fosters enthusiasm for athletics and nurtures local talent.

    Experts in sports and athletics will collaborate to devise strategies for harnessing the abundant potential in the region.

    “Through this conference, a blueprint for athletic development will emerge, accelerating progress in the South West.”

    All stakeholders are invited to participate in the brain-storming sessions during the two-day event, hosted by the Ogun State Athletics Association under  the leadership of Chief Gbenga Abijo.

  • AFN set committee for Africa Games, Olympics

    AFN set committee for Africa Games, Olympics

    Determined to make a bold step in international sporting events this year, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has set up a 5-man committee to raise a formidable athletics team for the Africa Games, the World in-door Championship and the Olympics Games holding in Paris.

      The decision was taken at the Board meeting held Saturday, January 6, 2024.The 5-man committee is headed by Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (rtd). Other members are the Technical Director of the federation, Samuel Onikeku, Amb. Manta Haruna Mohammed, Mrs. Maria Wophill, Dr. Solomon Alao, while an official of the AFN secretariat will serve as secretary of the committee.

       According to a member of the committee, Wophill, terms of reference of the committee is to put in a place a formidable athletics squad (from home and abroad) to fly the nation’s flag at the Africa Games, the World In-door Championship as well as the Olympics Games in Paris.

      Wophill also told journalists shortly after the meeting that the AFN board also dissolved all its committees after serving two years as agreed upon at the beginning of its tenure in 2021.

      She said: “The Board has approved its Safeguarding Policy Committee in line with the policy of World Athletics. The Board also set up a 3-man Committee to fashion out appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the committees, which would soon be set up by the federation.”

      According to her, the 3-man Committee is headed by Dr. Solomon Alao, with her and Prof Emmanuel Ojeme as members.

    Read Also; Huge sporting expectations for Nigeria

      “The 3-member committee is to draw up SOPs/Terms of Reference for the new Committees that will be set up as their Operational Guidelines.

      Wophill further explained that the AFN Board also deliberated on the Audit Committee Report and applauded the members for their efforts.

      “However, the Board did not uphold the particular recommendation, which tagged the various funds loaned to the federation by the President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, as ‘donations’. The Board unanimously agreed that Chief Okowa should be refunded his money as soon as funds  are available. This applies to all other members who have loaned out monies to the Federation as well.

       Regarding the Audit Committee recommendation that the Secretary General of the AFN, Rita Mosindi, be removed, Wophill stated that the Board, while deliberating, observed that it does not have the power to remove the SG as it did not appoint her.

      “The Board also observed that apart from apologizing both verbally and in writing to the Board, Mosindi has been under close watch and seen to be truly remorseful and demonstrated that she has changed, and ready to work with the Board to attain its ultimate goals. As such, the Board agreed to give her a severe reprimand and advised her to ‘sin no more’.

  • AFN to license individuals to stage meets

    In a bid to give athletes the chance to compete in several meets across the country, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has decided to give the go-ahead to individuals and corporate bodies to stage tournaments.

    According to the technical director of AFN, Sunday Adeleye, it becomes necessary to have more meets for athletes as the federation has more tournaments to feature in this year.

    “As a federation we want our athletes to be busy competing and this will surely put them in good shape for major competitions. We have also decided to license individuals and corporate bodies to organize meets across the country and the athletes will then decide the ones they will compete in. for us as a federation, we will give them the license-free this year and in subsequent year, we can now be thinking of asking them to pay for the license. This is another way of privatizing the sport and making it a profitable venture which is what obtains globally,” Adeleye told NationSport.

    The AFN top brass also said that efforts are on to encourage coaches across the country to organize competitions for their athletes in readiness for the 2019 World Championship and African Games. “We know that organising local tournaments would surely help our athletes to be in top form and to be able to meet up the required time for major competitions and we are also going to encourage the coaches to stage tournaments among their athletes as a form of preparation for the Worlds and African Games,” he added.

    He however expressed optimism on the athletes for the African Games, saying, “From what we witnessed at the last National Sports Festival in Abuja, it is now clear that we have talents that compete at global stages particularly as new athletes are now coming through. This is a good development and we hope to capitalize on this and encourage upcoming athletes,” he explained.

  • AFN cancels National Trials following protests by athletes

     

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) on Sunday cancelled the All Nigeria Athletics Championship holding in Abuja, following protests by participating athletes over poor welfare.

    Sunday Adeleye, AFN Technical Director, said that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the board of the AFN regarding the protest.

    “The decision we have reached is that the Championships is cancelled and we further decided that we are going to select athletes who will represent Nigeria at the All African Senior Athletics Championships,” he said.

    The All Nigeria Athletics Championships, which kicked-off at the Abuja National Stadium of Saturday, was supposed to be the National Trials for athletes expected to fly Nigeria’s flag at the All African Senior Athletics Championships.

    Asaba, Delta State, is billed to host the event in August.

    NAN reports that athletes had earlier on Sunday barricaded the tracks at the Abuja National Stadium and demanded talks with the AFN board to address poor welfare condition and failure to redeem outstanding allowances.

    NAN also reports that some of the athletes decried the harsh welfare conditions with which they compete at any event organised by the AFN.

    They also criticised the athletes’ representative on the AFN board for not representing their interests adequately  on the board.

    All efforts to return the athletes to action proved abortive, as they held a meeting and decided that they would not compete except their grievances were looked into.

    The AFN board was forced to hold an emergency meeting of members present.

    The outcome was the decision to cancel the National Trials.

    Adeleye, who had hoped the issue would be resolved, later told NAN that some of the protesting athletes misinterpreted what constituted logistical provisions for the event.

    “We call it All Nigeria Championships but we cannot take care of over 600 athletes by ourselves as a federation”, said Adeleye, who is the athletes’ representative of the board of AFN, said.

    “How do we put over 600 athletes in hotels? It is called trials, where you come and try to be selected. If you are selected, then we will adequately take care of you,” he said

    The three-day event started on Saturday and was supposed to end on Monday.

  • 2018 Commonwealth Games: Adegoke not ready to make up numbers

    Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) undergraduate, Enoch Adegoke will be making his senior debut for Nigeria at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the sprint specialist is not ready to just be a participant at the Gold Coast games in Australia.

    Adegoke, 100m men champion at the final of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Commonwealth Trials in Abuja, told NationSport yesterday that it was a dream comes true for him making the 37-man Team Nigeria list to the multi-sport championship.

    “It has always been my dream to compete for Nigeria at big stage like the Commonwealth Games and I cannot describe my feeling for making the final cut. I am just too excited that I will be competing at my first international tournament at senior level. It is not a smooth route to make the list; it was years, months and days of training under the watchful eyes of Coach Ayokunle Odelusi who has been an inspiration to me. I am not going to Australia to admire other athletes but to prove a point and also make my presence counts,” Adegoke said.

    The year two geography undergraduate however, admitted that representing Nigeria at such a big tournament would spur me on to aim high in the competition. “I want to thank God for ensuring that my dream becomes a reality. It has been a tough road to this stage and I am hoping that I can improve my personal best to 10.1secs at the games. I believe it is possible because other competitors are human being like me and everybody will only give his best,” he added.

    He expressed confidence in the team, adding that the training at the Abuja camp would aid the athletes to put the country on the podium at the games. “The camp is going on well and I am confidence that we can make Nigeria proud at the games because we have been training very well under the watchful eyes of the technical crew. We also need to believe in ourselves if we hope to make impact in Australia,” Adegoke enthused.

  • Commonwealth Games Trials: Adegoke, 100m men champion targets AFN standard

    Commonwealth Games Trials: Adegoke, 100m men champion targets AFN standard

    Enoch Adegoke, 100m men champion at the final of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Commonwealth Trials in Abuja, says he will improve on his 10:34secs record at the competition.

    Adegoke, whose victory was his Personal Best (PB), told our reporter Friday that he was praying that God grants his wish to meet the required AFN standard.

    “The most important thing is the God factor, I hope to meet the standard by the Grace of God, that factor is very important. On my part, I will also train more,’’ he said.

    The trials winner said 10.14secs standard of AFN was getting more visible for him to grab.

    He commended the AFN Chairman, Ibrahim Gusau, for creating opportunities for athletes to compete with each to attain the official standard, saying they should not rest on their oars.

    Read Also: Editor’s wife gets Queen’s Commonwealth Point of Light award

    Adegoke of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, finished second with 10.51secs in the semi-final second to Seye Ogunlewe (Jnr) who finished at 10.44s.

    However, Adegoke came first in the final of the 100m dash by providence as Ogunlewe, a U.K.-based athlete with 10.12secs PB from Lagos did not start the final race on Thursday.

    Sunday Adeleye, AFN Technical Director, had early in the year said that foreign-based athletes should be ready for a fight with their home-based counterparts in line with the board’s new developmental programmes.

    NAN

  • Athletics: Abuja comes alive for Commonwealth trials

    Athletics: Abuja comes alive for Commonwealth trials

     

    Athletes across the country will Wednesday burn the track and field of the Abuja National Stadium in the Commonwealth Games trials organised   Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)-

    From track to field events, the athletes will be aiming for spots in the Nigerian contingent to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games holding in Australia on April 5 to 15.

    According to AFN’s technical director, Sunday Adeleye, only home-based athletes would compete in the three-day trials with the federation placing emphasis on the returning time of the athletes.

    “We are using the trials to give home-based athletes the opportunity to make the cut for the championship but our focus will be on the returning time of the athletes. Just like their foreign-based counterparts who have been competing across the world, every athlete that will make the team must meet up with our timing and that is what is common to all the athletes. Unlike their foreign counterparts who have been competing globally, the trials is another opportunity for the home-based to showcase their talents and aim for spots in the team,” Adeleye said.

    The technical director however, said that to ensure that Nigeria’s image is not tainted before and during the Commonwealth Games, all the athletes would be monitored to ensure that none of them use performance enhancing drug. “The mandate of the

    President is to ensure that our athletes compete cleaned and that is why we are going to be conducting random test on all out athletes wherever they are to ensure that nobody taint the country’s image,” Adeleye warned.

    From today, when the athletes take to the track, day one will witness finals in 100m Decathlon, 1500m (men and women), long

    Jump Decathlon, pole Vault, Shot Put Decathlon, Discus, Triple Jump, Women Final, High Jump Decathlon, 400m Decathlon and 5000m events.

    Already, among the home-based athletes – Patience Okon George had secured her place in the team after the national

    Quarter-miller champion ran 51.94 seconds in the final of the women’s 400m at the Nigeria Golden League held recently at

    the University of Port Harcourt. George surpassed the ‘A’ standard of the event pegged at 52.10 seconds of the

    Commonwealth Games to secure her spot at the Gold Coast tournament.

  • Dalung unveils AFN’s new logo 

    Dalung unveils AFN’s new logo 

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has unveiled its new logo.

    Barrister Dalung presided over the unveiling ceremony today at the opening of the Annual General Congress of the AFN at the Nicon Luxury Hotel Abuja. 

    The logo replaces the old one that had been in use since 1944. 

    On the occasion, Barrister Dalung urged the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to set aside their differences and go back to the development of the sport at the grassroots.

    In his remarks, Barrister Dalung noted that the board of the AFN had the highest number of highly qualified and most tested personalities and and as such expected nothing short of qualitative leadership.

    “What is needed of you today is for you to bring qualitative leadership to drive the passion of athletics to great heights.

    “If we provide the desired leadership, other African countries will queue behind Nigeria and we will be able to shape the destiny of Africa. If we organize ourselves, Nigeria will be the economy hub of the entire West African sub region.”

    He appealed to the board members to respect one another to bring about the desired change in athletics.

    “Respect and value yourselves including the past and present leaders because a system that does not recognize history cannot secure the future. You must create space in your leadership to accommodate people of diverse opinions.

    Barrister Dalung also advised the board to begin a massive talent hunt in the rural areas and embark on training for such talents and also engage the private sector for support.

    Earlier, the President of the AFN Hon Shehu Ibrahim Gusau said that the congress which was the first in many years was convened to provide the framework for the Federation’s operation and and future.

    Hon Gusau said that following consultations in the last three months, the Federation has developed its constitution and will be tabled for amendments and ratification.

    He also spoke on efforts to rebrand and reposition the AFN as a global competitive brand.

    “I welcome you to a brand new world of athletics in Nigeria propelled by people, passion and performance.

    I promised that we shall reconstruct the sport with six national Athletics Development Centres. We hope to lay the process for the Middle and Long Distance project in Jos Plateau State while each region of the nation shall have same center. It is our ambition to create  job opportunities for our coaches and train 240 new coaches in the next 18months to meet the requirements of these centres.”

    The plan to build an athletics resort was also unveiled while the President also announced that every personnel in the Federation will be insured from the new season and a reliable data base with biometric capability put in place.

    In attendance were all the board members including three former Directors-General Dr Amos Adamu, Dr Patrick Ekeji, Otumba Gbenga Elegbeleye and the President, Nigeria Olympic Committee Engr Habu Gumel.