AFN releases entry standards just days before World Championships trials in Lagos
With just days to go before the Nigerian National Athletics Championships—serving as the final trials for the 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo—the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has ignited widespread frustration by releasing qualification standards a mere three days before the event begins.
Set to take place from August 1–3 at YABATECH Sports Ground in Lagos, the trials were expected to showcase Nigeria’s top athletic talent. But instead of anticipation, there’s outrage.
Coaches and athletes across the country have slammed the AFN for what they’re calling an ‘eleventh-hour disruption.’
Many had already wrapped up training cycles, finalized travel plans, and made financial commitments long before the sudden release of performance metrics. Now, they face an impossible dilemma.
‘How do you prepare for a war when you don’t even know the weapons required?’ lamented one coach. ‘The AFN has turned strategic planning into guesswork.’
Adding to the chaos is the federation’s earlier message posted on its official Facebook page, which stated:
‘The 100m, 200m, and 400m events have been omitted from open registration. Athletes for these sprint events will be invited based on merit—selection will be determined by the fastest times recorded during the 2025 season.’
But that position has now been contradicted with the release of entry standards:
Men’s 100m: 10.66 seconds
Women’s 100m: 12.00 seconds
Men’s 200m: 21.85 seconds
Women’s 200m: 24.74 seconds
Men’s 400m: 48.86 seconds
Women’s 400m: 57.50 seconds
Despite declaring these events ‘invite-only,’ the AFN’s release of benchmarks appears to reopen the door, causing confusion just hours before the July 30th registration deadline.
By comparison, World Athletics, the sport’s international governing body, published entry standards for the Tokyo 2025 World Championships back in December 2024—a full eight months ahead of the qualification window’s end and nine months before the championships themselves.
The AFN’s lack of timely communication not only undermines preparation but also widens the gap between Nigeria and global best practices in athlete management.
