AFN Names 19 Athletes For IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Nigeria is to be represented by a 19-man contingent at the IAAF World Championships scheduled to hold in Moscow, Russia in August.
Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama who released the list Sunday named Blessing Okagbare, who ran in the final of the 100m event of the last edition in Daegu, South Korea as one of the top athletes Nigeria is fielding at the championships.

Blessing Okagbare.
Blessing Okagbare.

The Beijing Olympic bronze medalist in women’s long jump is also listed to compete in the 200m and her specialty, the long jump.

Gloria Asumnu, who picked the silver behind Okagbare in Calabar was listed too having made the ‘A’ standard of the Championships. Another USA-based sprinter, Stephanie Kalu , was listed in the team on probation. She is yet to reach the ‘A’ standard of the 100m.

Leading the male sprinters who have made the (B) entry standard of the summit of track & field in Moscow is Ogho-Oghene Egwero, a Masters Degree student of Physics at the Delta State University, Abraka. Like Okagbare, Egwero won the sprint events of the just concluded 67th Cross River/ All Nigeria Championships at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

Others listed to run in the 400m and 800m on probation include USA-based Noah Akwu and Leoman Momoh respectively.

For the 4x400m relay, the AFN picked Noah Akwu, Abiola Onakoya,Isah Saliu, Tobi Ogunmola, and Gerald Odeka
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London Olympic 400m hurdles finalist, Ajoke Muizat Odumosu, has Regina George, Oluwakemi Adekoya and Ugoma Ndu as companions to run in the barrier quarter mile event. Omolara Omotosho, Josephine Ehigie and Patience Okon are for the 400m flat, though on probation.

Okagbare, Asumnu, Peace Uko and Stephanie Kalu are the quartet for Nigeria’s 4x100m relay team while George, Omotosho, Okon, Ehigie and Bukola Abogunloko are for the 4x400m.

Nesiama disclosed that athletes close to the IAAF qualification mark for Moscow 2013 were given three weeks grace to qualify for their individual and team events.

They include: Doreen Amata (high jump), Ugonna Ndu (100mh), Tosin Oke (Triple Jump), Selim Nurudeen, (110MH), and Abiola Onakoya (400and 4x100m men’s relay team).