.MURIC accepts AFN’s explanation
World 100 metres hurdles record holder, Tobiloba Amusan, red hot sprinter, Favour Ashe, and the country’s high jump record breaker, Temitope Adeshina, are among top athletes already in Lagos for the 2024 AFN National Trials holding in Benin City, Edo State, from June 16 to 18.
As at yesterday evening, almost all the foreign-based athletes have arrived Nigeria for the event, which the AFN is using to pick the nation’s athletes for both the African Senior Championships holding in Douala, Cameroon, and the Paris Olympics.
Technical Director of the AFN, Samuel Onikeku, revealed yesterday that all the top athletes were already in various hotels in Lagos, and the remaining are expected to arrive today.
“As at this morning (yesterday), we already have a full house,” Onikeku said. “Tobi Amusan is in town, we have Ashe Favour, Temitope Adeshina and many of them. We are expecting just a few more from the United States,” Onikeku stated.
Perhaps, one athlete many Nigerians will be watching out for at the national trials at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City is record breaker, high jumper Temitope Adeshina.
Adeshina recently set a new national record of 1.97m, which is also her personal best mark at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon in the United States.
In the sprints, all eyes will be on the ‘fastest,’ Favour Ofili, in the women’s 100m and 200m as well as Favour Ashe, Godson Brume and Udodi Onwuzurike for the men.
The rivalry between Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro will be another interesting event to watch in the long jump arena, just as Record holder, Samuel Ogazi and rave of the moment Chidi Okezie are expected to ignite the track in the 400m event.
African Games champions, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will be the cynosure of all eyes in the shot put event.
According to Onikeku, AFN advance team will hit Benin City today to put heads together with the Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, Olympian Yusuf Alli on arrangement for the National Trials.
Meanwhile, Islamic group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), yesterday, said that it has accepted AFN’s explanation on the timing of the national trials, which date clashes with the Sallah celebrations.
The AFN on Wednesday explained that the clash was not deliberate following MURIC’s complaints that it clashed with its activities.
In a statement signed by its founder, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, yesterday, MURIC said:
“We accept the explanation given by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) concerning the clash of the Sallah date with that of the Olympic trials. AFN has shown beyond reasonable doubt that it is a responsible and sensitive body.
“By responding to our allegation in this manner, the athletic body has proved that it has no hidden agenda. All is well that ends well. The worst families are those who keep malice. They do not express their feelings. They keep everything bottled up until there is an implosion. That is when they burst out in anger. It is always good to dialogue. It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war.
“We made our complaint public. AFN gave its own explanations and made it clear that the clash was not intentional. That is how dialogue works.”
