Nigerian athletes to depart for Mauritius June 6

Nigeria’s contingent to this year’s African Senior Athletics Championships in Mauritius will depart on June 6, the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, has said.

In 2018, Nigeria hosted the last edition of the Championships in Asaba, Delta State, and finished third on the medals table with nine gold, five silver and six bronze behind Kenya (11, 6, 2) and South Africa (9, 14, 8).

Okowa did not give details of the number of athletes and officials that will make the trip to Mauritius, but The Guardian learnt that the AFN had already settled for track and field stars that will fly Team Nigeria’s flag at the event.

The 2022 African Senior Athletics Championship, originally slated for Stade Olympique d’Oran in Algeria, will hold between June 8 and12 at the brand-new Côte d’Or National Sports Complex in Mauritius, which is considered one of the best technical stadium in Africa.

Earlier in the month, Okowa had stated that only athletes with medals prospect would be picked for the trip to Mauritius.

A source in the AFN hinted yesterday that the federation selected a team made up of mainly home-based athletes for the Senior African Athletics Championship in Mauritius.

However, one foreign-based star, who is willing to be part of the trip to Mauritius, is U.S.-based long jumper, Ese Brume.

Speaking with The Guardia from her base in the United States, last week, Brume stated that she is in good shape for all major competitions, starting with the Senior African Athletics Championship in Mauritius.

“I am in good shape here,” Brume told The Guardian. “I will be available for the African Championships in Mauritius, the World Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games, but that will depend on the AFN.”

Brume, who won Nigeria’s only medal, a silver, at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, leaping to a new Personal Best of 6.85m, broke into limelight in 2013 when she won two gold and one silver medals at the African Junior Athletics Championship in Mauritius.

“It will be a thing of joy for me to return to Mauritius for the African Senior Athletics Championship,” Brume stated.