Tobi Amusan Headlines Team Nigeria’s 50-man African Games’ Track & Field List
Duro Ikhazuagbe
World record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan highlights Team Nigeria’s 50-man track and field squad for the ongoing 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
In the track and field list released yesterday by the Technical Department of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Team Nigeria athletes will compete in 25 events, namely the men and women’s sprint events, the quarter mile, the relays and field events like long jump and high jump, discus, javelin, shot put, hammer and heptathlon.
Apart from Amusan whose podium appearance is a done deal, Ese Brume who is also multiple World Championship and Commonwealth Games winner, is also expected to add the women’s long jump gold to Team Nigeria’s medals haul at the Games. Although Brume have her compatriot, Ruth Usoro to contend with for the precious silverware as the latter has picked up devastating form leading to the African multi-sports fiesta in Ghana.
New kid on the block, Consider Ekanem is one athlete not to underrate in the men’s sprint. The 19-year-old sprinter proved his mettle, clocking world’s leading time in February. His 10.10 secs smashed a competition for home-based sprinters in Lagos, beating former champion, Enoch Adegoke to the second place.
Ekanem’s Coach, Seun Ogunkoya believes his ward has the capacity to run a sub-10 secs. Ogunkoya should know. He himself was at one time Nigeria’s Number 1 sprinter with 9.96 secs.
At the last Games in Morocco in 2019, Team Nigeria dominated the men’s sprint with Raymond Ekevwo winning the gold in 9.96secs while Usheoritse Itsekiri picked the consolation bronze medal.
All four athletes, Ekanem, Ekevwo, Adegoke and Itsekiri have in company Alaba Akintola, Seye Ogunlewe, Adekalu Fakorede and Okon Israel to compete for Team Nigeria in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m .
Tobi Amusan leads the cast for the 200m and 4x100m. She is joined by Olayinka Olajide, Blessing Ogundiran, Justina Eyakpobeyan, Abinusawa Moforehan and Onyebuchi Chisom. Amusan also have two understudy in her 100m hurdles event. Both Faith Osamuyi and Stella Ayanleke want to make it a gold, silver and bronze for Nigeria in the event Amusan holds the world record at 12.12 secs.
To support the track and field team in Ghana are 12 coaches that include; Gad Onumaegbu, Deji Aliu, Kola Adebayo, Solomon Aliyu, Kayode Yaya, Mohammed Dabo, Ken Onuaguluchi and Gabriel Okon.
THE LIST:
WOMEN
*200/4x100m
Olajide Olayinka
Blessing Ogundiran
Justina Eyakpobeyan
Abinusuwa Moforehan
Onyebuchi Chisom
Tobiloba Amusan
*400m/ 4x400m
Patience Okon George
Esther Elo Joseph
Brittany Ogunmokun
Okon Esther
Saibu Yetunde
Omolara Ogunmakinju
*800m
Comfort Anietie
*100m Hurdles
Tobiloba Amusan
Faith Osamuyi
Stella Ayanleke
*1500m
Ronke Akanbi
*3000m Steeple Chase
Ronke Akanbi
*High Jump
Ewa Peace
*Long Jump
Ese Brume
Ruth Usoro
Pristine Ochonogor
*Triple Jump
Ruth Usoro
*Shot Put
Sade Olatoye
*Hammer
Sade Olatoye
*Discus
Chioma Onyekwere
Ashley Anumba
Obiageri Pamela
*Javelin
Victoria Kparika
*Heptathlon
Kemi Petersen
MEN
*100m/200m/4x100m
Consider Ekanem
Itsekiri Usheoritse
Okon Israel
Seye Ogunlewe
Alaba Akintola
Enoch Adegoke
Adekalu Fakorede
*400m/4x400m
Dubem Nwachukwu
Nathaniel Ezekiel
Chidi Okezie
Sikiru Adeyemi
Nathaniel Samson
Ifeanyi Ojeli
Daniel Atinaya
*800m
Ibadin Edose
*1500m
Hamid Sambo
*110m Hurdles
Musa Great Wisdom
*400m Hurdles
Nathaniel Ezekiel
Nathaniel Samson
*Half Marathon
Adamu Shehu Muazu
*High Jump
Fiaku Goodluck
*Long Jump
Njoku Emmanuel
*Shot Put
Chukwuebuka C. Enekwechi
Emeka Ugwu
*Javelin
Samuel Kure
Nnamdi Chinwecherem
