‘Athletes 85% ready for Africa Games’

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) first pre-Africa Games competition ended in Abuja at the weekend with the federation’s Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, rating the athletes 85 per cent ready for the continental fiesta billed for Accra, Ghana.

Onikeku, who supervises the technical department of the federation, noted that another competition holding from February 16-17 would push the athletes to 95 per cent set for the Games.

“We had a good performance in 400m, 1500m, high jump, long jump and 200m where athletes posted commanding results that could fetch Nigeria podium appearances in the Africa Games.”

Onikeku said the athletes’ performance in the first competition and the anticipated improved performance in the second competition would make selection for the final training camp easy.

He commended the athletes and technical officials, the media, as well as the AFN president and board members for being available at the venue of the competition.

The boxing world rejoiced on Saturday when the undisputed world heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk got a new date within 24 hours of it being postponed, reports dazn.com.

Fury and Usyk were originally set to meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 17, however, this date was then scrapped on Friday after Fury picked up a deep cut in sparring, which would keep him out of the ring for several months.

Now, a new date has been announced with the contest now holding on May 18, but there is a twist.

Announcing the news on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour, the Chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment in Saudi Arabia, Turki Alalshikh, revealed that either fighter will be hit with a large financial penalty if they pull out of the rearranged contest.

“I have guarantees from both of the fighters, $10 million if someone escapes from the fight,” Alalshikh said.
When Fury and Usyk meet later this year, history will be made with the winner becoming the first fighter to hold all the world heavyweight titles in the four-belt era.