Paris 2024 Olympics: AFN withdraws ‘injured’ Oghenebrume from 100m event, keeps mum on Ogunlewe

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, has finally confirmed sprinter, Godson Oghenebrume will not be available for the 100m event at the Pris 2024 Olympics.

The athlete was injured at the training camp opened for Team Nigeria in Saarbrücken, Germany and the AFN did not issue any press statement regarding Oghenebrume’s injury amidst criticism of the federation picking an unfit athlete for the Games.

In the updated entry list on the website of World Athletics, only Favour Ashe and Kanyinsola Ajayi’s names are published unlike when the entry list was first released on July 12, 2024 when Oghenebrume’s name was listed in a three-man Nigerian team for the 100m event.

Oghenebrume was one of the two sprinters that did not fully comply with the AFN’s selection criteria for the Games but was picked because of nepotism why Seye Ogunlewe, the Lagos-state born athlete, who fulfilled all conditions set by both World Athletics and the AFN was not selected.

Ogunlewe was even overlooked in the selection for the 4x100m relay event while Israel Okon, an athlete who holds a lifetime best of 20.80 in the 200m was selected for the mixed 4x400m relay while Ogunlewe who ran 20.63 last year and holds a 20.45 best which he achieved this year was not selected.

Even an established 400m runner like Nathaniel Samson was overlooked for the mixed 4x400m event.

The AFN had to resort to lying to the Sports Minister and Nigerians that Ogunlewe did not meet World Athletics’ criteria for selection.

The Sports Minister looked to have bought the lie as Ogunlewe was not included in the team, especially following the injury to Oghenebrume who should not have been in the team in the first place.

Tima Godbless has also been pulled out of the 200m event with the 19 year old now made to face the 100m event before the 4x100m relays.