Record-chasing Adeshina and Amusan headline Nigeria’s 40-man team to 23rd African Athletics Championships

Nigeria high jump record holder and bronze medal inner at the NCAA outdoor track and field championship, Temitope Adeshina and World 100m hurdles record holder, Tobi Amusan tops the list of 40 athletes that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria have selected to represent Nigeria at the 23rd African Athletics Championships which holds from this weekend in Douala, Cameroon.

Adeshina will be seeking to become the first Nigerian woman to be crowned African champion in the high jump event after silver medal finishes by Nneka Ukuh and Doreen Amata.

The 25 year old will likely battle Ghana’s Rose Yeboah, the reigning African Games and defending African Championships champion for the gold.

Both were locked in the battle for the NCAA gold some 10-11 days ago with the Ghananian winning the gold on countback after the trio podium finishers (Adeshina, Yeboah and Elena Kulichenko) cleared 1.97m each.

Amusan, on the other hand, is not only the defending 100m hurdles champion at the championships, she will also be aiming for a hat-trick of high hurdles titles after winning in 2018 and 2022.

If she succeeds, she will become the third Nigerian nay African woman to win the event three straight times after Maria Usifo and Glory Alozie.

Also listed are sprinters Ushoritse Itshekiri, Kanyinsola Ajayi and Godson Oghenebrume for men and Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Tima Godbless for the women. While the men will seeking to return Nigeria to the podium since 2008 when Olusoji Fasuba won for the third consecutive time, the women will be seeking a first for Nigeria since 2014 when Blessing Okagbare ran a then Championships’ record of 11.00 to win the title.

In the 400m, reigning African Games champion, Chidi Okezie has been listed alongside teenage sensation, Samuel Ogazi and Dubem Amene with the sole task of returning Nigeria to the podium as African champion 26 years after Clement Chukwu won the gold in Dakar, Senegal.

Okezie made history at the African Games when he became the second Nigerian after Innocent Egbinke (1987) to win the 400m title and the 30 year old will be seeking to repeat that history.

For the women, Ella Onojuvwevwo will lead Esther Joseph and Patience George to battle for the medals on offer with the target the gold medal last won by Folasade Abugan in 2014.

Like Amusan, also returning to win a hat-trick of titles are the duo of Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Chioma Onyekwere.

Enekwechi set new championships record on the two occasions he won in 2018 and 2022 and will be aiming to throw another championships record on his way to winning his third straight Shot Put title.

Onyekwere, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion is also seeking to win the Discus throw title for the third straight time. Also listed to compete in the event are Obiageri Amaechi and Anumba Ashley.

Long jumper, Ese Brume is seeking to reclaim the title she relinquished without a fight two years ago in Mauritius and may likely face defending champion, Marthe Koala of Burkina Faso who has defeated the Nigerian twice in 10 head to head clashes with the second coming last September at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China.

Prestina Ochonogor, the reigning Nigeria champion in the event will also be in the long jump equation and may feel she has a say in who wins the gold this time.

In the women’s hammer throw, Sade Olatoye will be looking to successfully defend the title she won two years ago in Mauritius.

Godfred Charles who set a new 8.16m lifetime best in the long jump and second farthest winning jump in the history of the Nigerian Championships will be aiming to return Nigeria to the podium for the first time in 21 years when Obinna Eregbu leapt a wind-aided 8.32m to win the gold in Durban, South Africa (1993).

Conspicuosly missing are sprinter, Udodi Onwuzurike, high jumper, Best Erhire and 400m barrier runner, Nathaniel Ezekiel. No reason has been given for their omission.