Confirmed: Godbless, Onojuvwevwo, Ogazi, Nathaniel, Ajayi out of World Relays as AFN unveils athletes for World Championships qualifying event
As exclusively reported last week that top Nigerian Student-athletes in USA Universities may not be available for next month’s World Relays in China, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, has now confirmed their unavailability.
All the Universities in the USA will be having their NCAA Conferences just a week after the event in Guangzhou, China and they have told the AFN, without mincing words, that they will not release their Nigerian student athletes who are on track and field scholarships for the World Relays which is serving as the major qualifying event for the 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan this September.
As many as 14 of the 16 teams that will run in in each of all six relay events will be decided in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, leaving only two slots left for countries who fail to get the tickets in China to battle for thereafter.
What this means is that the Nigerian men and women’s 4x400m relay teams will have to fight for the remaining two slots that will be available after the World Relays.
Athletics observers believe Nigeria stand a good chance of getting a medal in the men’s 4x400m in Tokyo following the impressive performances of some of the country’s 400m runners.
Last year, Samuel Ogazi ran close to breaking 44 seconds in the 400m while Nathaniel Ezekiel’s 44.74 run indoors this year is a good signal he can easily split 43 seconds in the relays.
Edidiong Udo has come into the picture and ran a new 45.19 lifetime best penultimate weekend while Chidi Okezie, the reigning African Games champion is also another athlete that can split 43 seconds.
The team will now have to qualify by competing in relay events anywhere they are available across the globe after the World Relays.
Meanwhile, the AFN on Wednesday via its social media pages unveiled the athletes that will compete in the four events registered for the competition.
Conspicuously missing from the women’s 4x100m list are Tima Godbless and Joy Udo-Gabriel, the two Nigerian sprinters that impressed at the NCAA indoor season.
Godbless ran a personal best time of 7.08 seconds in the 60m while Udo-Gabriel also sped to a lifetime best of 7.11 to win the NCAA Division 11 indoor title.
For the men’s 4x100m, the four Nigerians that were exceptional in the NCAA indoor season, led by the Auburn University duo Kanyinsola Ajayi who equaled Deji Aliu’s 6.48 60m national record in the 60m and Israel Sunday Okon (6.51).
Nigeria’s Team To 2025 World Relays
Men’s 4x100m: Akintola Alaba, Onwuzurike Udodi, Ashe Favour, Anunagba Karlington, Olaoye Folawiyo, Itshekiri Usheoritshe
Women’s 4x100m: Chukwuma Rosemary, Umukoro Success, Eyakpobeyan Tiana, Ofili Favour, Chukwuka Obi Jennifer, Amusan Tobi
4x400m Mixed: Okezie Chidi, Ojeli Ifeanyin, Nathaniel Samson, George Patience Okon, Idamadudu Praise, Omolara Ogunmakinju
4x100m Mixed: Ashe Favour, Akintola Alaba, Onwuzuruike Udodi, Chukwuma Rosemary, Ofili Favour, Umukoro Success
The leadership of the AFN looks to be busy with next month’s elections into the executive board of the Federation and has been busy plotting the exclusion of perceived opponents, especially from the northern part of Nigeria, with some ludicrous decisions taken at a disputed extraordinary congress in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state last week.
