Divine Oduduru and Blessing Okagbare will lead Nigeria’s charge for medals in athletics when events get underway on Monday, 26 August at the ongoing 12th African Games in Morocco.
Organisers have released the entry lists for athletics events and Oduduru, Nigeria’s fastest man over 100m this year, has been listed alongside National Champion Usheoritse Itsekiri and Raymond Ekevwo in the 100m sprints for men.
The women’s 100m will have Blessing Okagbare competing alongside talented youngster Joy Udo-Gabriel and Aniekeme Alphonsus for Team Nigeria.
Former 100m National Champion Seye Ogunlewe will compete in the 200m men’s event alongside Emmanuel Arowolo with Itsekiri also listed for the event.
In the women’s 200m Alphonsus will have the opportunity to stake a claim for multiple medals when she lines up for Team Nigeria alongside Youth Olympic Games 100m Champion, Rosemary Chukwuma and Africa U18 double champion, Favour Ofili.
Reigning 400m National Champion Emmanuel Ojeli will look to announce himself on the continent when he takes to the tracks in the men’s 400m. Ojeli will be joined by Samson Nathaniel and Chidi Okezie while in the female category, the trio of Amarachukwu Obi, Favour Ofili and Patience Okon-George will fly the country’s flag.
Listed in the women’s 100m Hurdles for Nigeria is Africa and Commonwealth Games Champion Tobi Amusan who will hope to live up to her favourite tag. She is joined in the 100m Hurdles by Grace Ayemoba.
Abejoye Oyeniyi is the lone athlete listed for Nigeria in the men’s 110m Hurdles, a similar situation also obtains in the men’s 800m where Edose Ibadin stands alone.
Nigeria will be represented in the men’s 400m Hurdles by the duo of Rilwan Alowonle and Timothy Emoghene, while Abasiamo Akpan will hold the fort in the women’s 400m Hurdles.
Enoch Adegoke, Seye Ogunlewe, Raymond Ekevwo and Ogho-Oghene Egwero will line up for Nigeria in the men’s 4x100m relay, while Bukola Adekunle, Mercy Ntia-Obong, Nwokwocha Nzubechi and Blessing Ogundiran have been listed in the women’s category.
In the men’s 4x400m relay, Orukpe Eraiyokan, Sikiru Adeyemi, Shedrack Akpeki, and Edose Ibadin are Nigeria’s representatives while Abasiamo Akpan, Okon-George, Blessing Oladoyeand Rita Ossai are listed for Nigeria in the women’s category.
Moving onto the field events, Commonwealth Games Silver medallist Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Ayomitoju Ogundeji are Nigeria’s representatives in the men’s Shot Put, while Chioma Onyekwere and Adetola Olatoye are listed for the country in the women’s category.
Onyekwere is also listed for Nigeria in the women’s Discus alongside National Champion Princess Kara and Ifeoma Anumba. The country has no representatives in the men’s category. were listed to compete for Nigeria in the women’s category.
Africa Championship triple gold medallist Ese Brume and Grace Anigbata complete Nigeria’s athletics lineup. They both will fly the country’s flag in the women’s Long Jump.
