Injustice as AFN is accused of nepotism and incompetence in Paris Olympics Team selection

Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, has been accused of nepotism and incompetence in its selection of athletes to the Paris Olympics.

The Federation released the names of athletes it has picked for the Games on Friday with one notable omission and another that was picked for an event he has really not officially competed in.

The omission of sprinter Seye Ogunlewe who came fourth at the National Trials in Benin and the selection of Favour Ashe and Godson Oghenebrume is not only seeing by athletics watchers including coaches as nepotism but also a case of rewarding indiscipline with Olympic spots.

Many stakeholders, especially coaches who spoke to SportsNow on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimized wondered why the AFN keeps indulging mostly Delta state born athletes with spots in Team Nigeria for International competitions despite not competing at the selection trials.

‘The athletes came to compete for spots in Nigeria’s team to the Olympics but the AFN failed to provide a level playing field for them.

‘When you claim to exempt athletes on medical ground that is shrouded in mystery, what message are you sending to other athletes?

‘Would the AFN have given Seye an exemption if he had asked for one?’, asked one of the coaches SportsNow spoke with.

Another simply remarked it was a selection based on favouritism, nepotism and incompetence.

‘What the AFN has done is to rubbish, yet again, the Nigerian Championships which has served as selection trials for major athletics competitions and the Olympics.

Yet another coach queried why most of the athletes who did not run at the trials or run in events where they have attained the requisite entry standard are all from Delta states.

Ogunlewe is one of the five Nigerian sprinters who have qualified for the Games through either the entry standard or the athletes ranking positions and confirmed as such on World Athletics’ Road to Paris segment on its website..

‘What the AFN should have done is to send a message that indiscipline will no longer be rewarded but they did not do that simply because of nepotism,’ added another coach.

The coaches also question the competence of the AFN technical sub-committee.

Sprinter, Israel Okon was picked to run in the mixed 4x400m relay and the athlete does not have any known record (as per his profile page of World Athletics website) of running in the 400m event.

‘It seems the AFN technical sub-committee is packed with incompetent people or they are forced to pick the athlete who should be preparing for the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru which start just under two weeks after the Olympics’.

Another coach on Facebook asked why a tested quarter miler was replaced with a 100m finalist who is billed to compete in Lima.

‘This is injustice to Seye Ogunlewe, Enoch Adegoke and Nathaniel Samson.

‘How can you skip Ogunlewe that’s currently ranked among the athletes that have qualified to feature in 100m men at Paris Olympics then moved a Delta state athlete to fill in the space in 4x400m mixed?

‘More of incompetence on the Technical Director who signed this document. He just got himself sacked,’ wrote the coach.