African Athletics Championships 2022: AFN lists 54 athletes to represent Nigeria in Mauritius

Four reigning African champions, Tobiloba Amusan (100m hurdles), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Chioma Onyekwere (Discus Throw), and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) headline the list of 54 athletes who will represent Nigeria at the 22nd African Athletics Championships planned to hold between June 8 and 12, 2022 in Mauritius.

Amusan will contend in two individual occasions and the 4x100m relay.

She has been leaned to contend in the women’s 100m alongside Godbless Tima Seikeseye and Praise Ofoku as well as in the 100m hurdles where she will protect the title she previously won in Asaba quite a while back at the 21st edition of the Championships.

Long jumper Ese Brume will be gunning for her fourth consecutive long jump title after winning in 2014, 2016, and 2018 while Onyekwere will look for her second Discus title in the wake of winning the gold medal four years ago in Asaba.

Shot Putter, Enekwechi will likewise be guarding the occasion title he won in Asaba with another 21.08m Championships record.

Likewise on the list are Orobosa Anabel Frank who is the top-ranked African up to this point this year in the women’s ‘ Shot Put with her 17.21m exertion at the AFN All-Comers competition in Benin in March.

There are likewise Oyesade Olatoye in the women’s Hammer throw, Fadekemi Olude in the women’s 10km walk as well as Patience Okon George, bronze medal winner in the 400m occasion in 2014.

For the men, reigning African Games 100 champion, Raymond Ekevwo will lead Seye Ogunlewe and Nicholas Mabilo as Nigeria will try to get back to the podium as champions 12 long years after Olusoji Fasuba was crowned as the African speed king for the third straight time.

AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku says the athletes have been carefully chosen given their performances in both the nearby and international athletics circuits.

‘A portion of our student-athletes in the United States of America like Favor Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Imaobong Nse Uko, Favor Ashe, Udodi Onwuzurike, Nathaniel Ezekiel, Alaba Akintola, and Nnamdi Prosper have qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships planned to hold in Eugene, Oregon, the USA between June 8 and 11, 2022.

“And will not be available for the African Athletics Championships hence the decision to pick the bulk of the team from athletes based at home,” said Mr. Onikeku who assured the athletes selected will still do the nation proud in Mauritius.

Nigeria won a sum of 20 medals made of nine gold, five silver, and six bronze medals to complete third in the medal table behind Kenya and South Africa at the 21st edition held in Asaba, Delta.

The country however tops the all-time medal table with a sum of 368 medals made up of 155 gold, 122 silver, and 91 bronze medals.

The 58-in strong contingent

Women

100m: Godbless Seikeseye, Praise Ofoku, Tobi Amusan
200m: Praise Idamadudu, Godbless Seikeseye
400m: Patience Okon, Praise Idamadudu, Opeyemi Oke
100m hurdles: Tobi Amusan, Miracle Thompson, Joy Abu
400m hurdles: Abasiano Akpan, Sarah Ochigbo
Heptathlon: Kemi Francis
10km Racewalk: Fadekemi Olude
Discus: Choima Onyekwere, Obiageri Amechi, Princess Kara
Shot Put: Anabel Orobosa, Sade Olatoye
Hammer: Sade Olatoye, Queen Obisesan
High jump: Temitope Adesina
Triple jump: Mercy Honesty, Onara Obamuwagun
Long jump: Ese Brume, Ruth Agadama
4x100m: Godbless Seikeseye, Tobi Amusan, Praise Ofoku, Ese Brume, Ruth Agadama, Yakubu Bilikis, Joy Abu
4x400m: Patience Okon, Ella Onojuvwewo, Opeyemi Deborah Oke, Praise Idamadud, Osunobun Queen, Osaretin Joy Usunbor, Joy Abu

Men

100m: Seye Ogunlewe, Raymond Ekewvwo, Nicholas Mabilo
200m: Fakorede Adekalu, Chidi Okezie
400m: Samson Nathaniel, Adeyemi Sikiru, Chidera Johnson
110m hurdles: Prosper Ekporere, Abejoye Oyeniyi, Alex Al-Ameen
400m hurdles: Rilwan Alowonle
Decathlon: Osadolor Samuel
Discus: Ugeoke Vincent
Javelin: Adams Kure Samuel
Shot put: Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Dotun Ogundeji
Long jump: Tobechukwu Emmanuel, Nwokocha Oritsemeyiwa
Triple jump: Kalu Ikenga
High jump: David Aya
4x100m: Seye Ogunlewe, Raymond Ekwevwo, Oghene Egwero, Fakorede Adekalu, Mabilo Nicholas, Carlington Anunagba
4x400m: Samson Nathaniel, Adewale Sikiru, Nnamani Johnson, Chidera Ayo, Toriseju Adeola, Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ojeli, Chidi Okezie
4x400m mixed relay: Samson Nathaniel, Ifeanyi Ojeli, Sikiru Adeyemi, Patience Oko, Opeyemi Oke, Idamadudu Praise