Team Nigeria’s list of athletes, who have passed selection criteria for this month’s IAAF World Championships, have been released by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), with Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor and Tosin Oke among notable figures in the contingent.
Nigeria will not be taking to the block in some of its previously sure-bet events such as the men’s 4x100m and the 4x400m Relays and the men’s 400m as athletes have failed to meet qualifying marks in the individual 100 and 400m.
But the country’s athletes will yet be paraded in 16 events, including the men’s 400m Hurdles and the women’s Hepthatlon and Discus. The team comprises of 18 female and 5 male athletes.
Commonwealth double gold medalist and African sprint queen Okagbare-Igho will look to build on her impressive performance at the 2013 championships in Moscow, where she won silver medal in the Long Jump and bronze in the 200m.
The 26-year-old, who has focused her attention on the sprint this year, will- as was the case at the Glasgow Games a year ago- allow compatriot Ese Brume, 19, try her might as Nigeria’s sole entrant for the Long Jump.
Newly crowned 200m men’s champion, Odele Tega, Commonwealth Games gold (2010) and silver (2014) medalist, Oke, who both secured their qualifications at the weekend’s National Championships in Warri, Delta State, join the flight to Beijing.
Tega ran a Personal Best (PB) of 20.47secs to claim the Men’s 200m and Oke cleared 16.98m- his best jump this year.
Hepthatlete, Uhunoma Osazuwa, who set recorded a Season’s Best and set a National Record of 6106 points on her track to winning at the Warri City stadium is also part of the team.
The team will be joined by the following officials: Gabriel Okon, Maurice Greene, Solomon Aliyu, Yussuf Alli, Prof Ken Anugweje, Kayode Thomas (Media Officer), Falilat Ogunkoya, Olumide Bamiduro (Secretary General), Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (Technical Director) and president of the federation, Solomon Ogba.
The 2015 IAAF World Championships runs from August 22 to 30 in Beijing, China.
Women’s 100/200/4x100m
Blessing Okagbare
Gloria Asumnu
Stephanie Kalu
Deborah Odeyemi
Cecilia Francis
Ngozi Onwumere
400/4x400m
Patience Okon
Regina George
Oluwatosin Adeloye
Etim Margaret
Funke Oladoye
Rita Ossai
High Jump
Doreen Amata
100m Hurdles
Lindsay Weyimi Lindley
400m Hurdles
Amaka Ogoegbunam
Long Jump
Ese Brume
Discus
Chinwe Okoro
Heptathlon
Uhunoma Naomi Osazuwa
Men’s 100m
Ogho-Oghene Egwero
Men’s 200m
Odele Tega Peter
Men’s 110m Hurdles
Tyron Akins
Men’s 400m Hurdles
Miles Ukaoma
Men’s Triple Jump
Tosin Oke
