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