• Junior Athletes For World Championship To Emerge On Wednesday
• Samuel Onikeku Is New Technical Director
Determined to make a bold step at Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) says it will commence its preparation by assembling a crack squad for the World Junior Athletics Championship holding in Kenya from August 17-22.
Over 1,300 athletes from 128 countries will assemble in Nairobi, Kenya for the championship, and the AFN says it will serve as its first steps in putting the right things in place for Paris 2024 Olympics.
A board member of the AFN, former hurdler, Victor Okorie, told The Guardian on phone yesterday from his base in the United States of America that the federation was doing everything possible to put smile on faces of Nigerians at Kenya 2021 World Junior Championship.
“I am in constant torch with the athletes and their coaches in Asaba camp of our U20 team, and I am confident Team Nigeria will present a formidable squad in Kenya 2021. The athletes have been in camp since July 23, and our President made sure everything was in place before he left Nigeria for the Tokyo Olympics. This World Junior Championship in Kenya will serve as AFN’s first step in putting the proper things in place for the 2024 Olympics. This present board of the AFN will do things differently by avoiding last minutes approach to major Games,” Okorie, a silver medallist at Abuja 2003 All African Games said.
AFN President, Tonobok Okowa had told The Guardian last week that some of the country’s young athletes, who were in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, would be part of country’s squad to Kenya 2021 World Junior Championship.
Head coach in the U20 camp in Asaba, Seigha Porbeni says Nigeria’s squad to Kenya will emerge on Wednesday.
“We did our Open Trials on July 29 to select athletes for camping, and by Wednesday, we will pick the final squad. All the athletes in camp are doing very well, but everybody can’t make the team. I must commend the AFN board, particularly the President Tonobok Okowa for this great preparation. Hopefully, Team Nigeria will shine in Kenya,” Porbeni stated.
Meanwhile, the AFN has appointed Samuel Onikeku as its Technical Director. He is expected to perform his first major assignment in Kenya.
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