Brume, Oduduru lead Team Nigeria athletes to Addis Ababa

Camp begins Thursday in Shagamu

COMMONWEALTH gold medalist, Ese Brume, and IAAF junior championship silver medalist, Divine Oduduru, top the list of athletes the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has selected for the African Junior Championship holding in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from March 3 to 7.

 Brume and Oduduru were at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius 2013 as Under-17 athletes. They will compete in Addis Ababa in the Under-20 category. Nigeria is the defending champion of the championship. 

  Brume, who won long jump gold medal at both the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and African Athletics Championship in Morocco, will fly Nigeria’s flag in multiple events in Addis Ababa. She will compete alongside Precious Okoronkwo and Mercy Abire in the long jump. She is also listed in the Nigeria’s 100/200/4x100m team.

  In the list made available to The Guardian yesterday by AFN Technical Director, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, a total of 34 athletes (20 female and 14 male) and eight coaches will make the trip to Addis Ababa. They are expected to hit Shagamu Stadium camp tomorrow.

  Oduduru will spearhead Team Nigeria’s quest for medals in the boys 100/200/4x100m event. Others in that category are Victor Peka, Igube ThankGod, Ashien Godwin and Olisakwe Chukwu.

  To compete in the boys 400/4x400m events are Nathaniel Samson, Fasasi Adekunle Rilwan, Adeyemi Sikiru Adewale, Precious Moses and Abdulgafar Audu.

  Listed to compete in the girls’ 400/4x400m events are Adeloye Tosin, Idamadudu Praise, Asamu Tobi, Odiong Edidiong Ofonime and Ajayi Yinka.

  The duo of Bashiru Abdulllahi Atuma and Ifeanyi Chukwu will fly the country’s flag in the boys’ 110m hurdles, just as Amusan Tobiloba and Temidayo Oshinbajo will compete in the girls’ 100m hurdles. 

  The duo of Akpofa Daisy and Glory Nathaniel will do battle in the girls’ 400m hurdles, while Emoghene Timothy is the sole competitor in the boys’ 400m hurdles.

  The coaches selected for the trip include former hurdler and one time Director of Sports in Delta State, Siegha Porbeni. He is to coordinate the coaches, while former quartermiler, Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo is the Camp Commandant.

   The coaches picked to handle the short, long sprints and hurdles are former African track queen, Endurance Ojokolo, Esabunor Muavaye, Saheed Akinpelu, Ayodele Solaja and Solomon Aliyu. 

  Coach Kayode Yaya will take charge of the jumps, just as Ann Chet is in-charge of the throws.