Dare: Team Nigeria Athletes Have Given us Renewed Hopes in Tokyo 2020

Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, has expressed his excitement with the quality of performances recorded at the four-day Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) 2020 Olympic Trials and Invitational Relays which ended Sunday at the Sports Ground of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos.

Dare who witnessed three of the four days of action, says the quality of the performances has given Nigerians hope of podium appearances in Tokyo at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games which starts 30 days from today.

“I am glad that all our athletes heeded the clarion call to take part in this Championship. Your performances are not only impressive, but have set the standard and the tone of what to expect at the Olympics,” said Dare in his address to the athletes at the end of the competition at the weekend.

“With what we have seen at this trials, we now have a clearer picture and renewed confidence that our athletes will perform well in our areas of core competitive advantage at the Games.

”Blessing Okagbare, Tobi Amusan, Enoch Adegoke, Ese Brume and others’ impressive outings signpost what to expect at the Olympic Games. They cannot afford to let millions of our compatriots who have invested heavily emotionally and financially on them,” he further stressed.

He therefore urged the athletes to replicate the performances they put up at the Olympic Trials when they get to Tokyo.

”You have the huge responsibility to ensure that we perform well at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by replicating your impressive performances here in Tokyo.

”As a Government, we have provided all the support and motivation you need for podium success in Tokyo. More than ever, Government ensured that you had a lot of support for a long camping exercise at home and abroad, most of you were adopted through our “Adopt-an-Athlete” Initiative by state governors individuals and corporate bodies.

The duo of Blessing Okagbare and Enoch Adegoke were the standout performers as botrh set new championship records.

Okagbare, the Nigeria 100/200m record holder scorched to a 10.99 finish in the semifinal to set a new championship record and made historry as the first Nigerian sprinter to run a sub 11 seconds at the Championships.

What could have been a new African record and world’s second fastest time history (10.63 seconds) was halted by an excessive (+2.7mps) wind.

Adegoke on his part became the championship’s second fastest time in history after Deji Aliu (9.98 seconds) with his 10.00 seconds personal best he set to win the blue ribband title.