Angry AFN technical director absolves self of blame
06 November 2024 |
1:50 am
The Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Samuel Onikeku, has faulted the recommendations of the probe panel set up by former Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, to investigate Team Nigeria’s negative exposures at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Samuel Onikeku, has faulted the recommendations of the probe panel set up by former Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, to investigate Team Nigeria’s negative exposures at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Mumuni Alao-led committee submitted its report earlier this week, and among other things, blamed Favour Ofili’s omission from the women’s 100m list on Onikeku and AFN Secretary General, Rita Mosindi.
But Onikeku fired back yesterday, insisting he did nothing wrong. In a message to The Guardian, Onikeku said; “By the report of the panel I saw online, it was evident that I registered Favour Ofili for 100m, 200m and 4X100m because I provided evidence to that effect.
“The committee in its report said maybe the situation would have been rescued if I reported the news when I first got the hint in Germany, just before our departure to Paris. The deadline for registration was July 8 and I provided evidence from World Athletics that nothing can be done because it was past July 8 in my correspondence with them. I believe their concentration should have been on how she was omitted from 100m after I submitted her name for the event.
“In their opening remarks, they said her omission can be traceable to any of AFN, NOC, IOC. I believe their investigation should have pointed out where the problem came from.”
“As technical director for over three years, I have done my duties with diligence and no single incident of athletes non-registration in competitions has ever come up. Even at the Olympic Games, I made sure the 35 athletes that qualified for the Olympics were duly registered with World Athletics in the Entry Event System, which the committee was given a copy with Favour Ofili registered for 100m, 200m and 4X100m relay. Her omission has nothing to do with me,” Onikeku stated.
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