Okon, Ojokolo to lead athletes to World Relays in Bahamas

Two of Nigeria’s top coaches, Gabriel Okon and Endurance Ojokolo, will lead the nation’s contingent to the 2024 World Relays holding in the Bahamas on May 4 and 5.

The team will strive to be among the best 14 finishers to secure a lane at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, told The Guardian, yesterday, that the duo of Okon and Ojokolo would lead the contingent to the Caribbean Island if the federation is unable to secure enough funds to accommodate other technical officials.

“As things stand, only coach Gabriel Okon and Endurance Ojokolo might lead the team to the Bahamas unless we are able to get enough funds for the trip. As we speak, we have not been able to get the money we need to take many people to the World Relays, and in that case, we have to cut down on the number of officials because we need the athletes to get the job done,” Okowa stated.

The home-based athletes and their officials were at the U.S. embassy in Abuja, yesterday, afternoon for capturing, which is part of the process for acquiring their visas.

AFN Secretary General, Rita Mosindi, also told The Guardian that she is optimistic that Nigerian athletes will give a good account of themselves at the World Relays.

“Our athletes have been in camp, and I am sure they won’t disappoint us in Bahamas,” she said.
Nigeria’s fastest man so far this year, Favour Ashe will not be in Nassau, Bahamas to help the country secure a 4x100m berth in Paris. Ashe has been in great form this outdoor season and has broken 10 seconds twice (9.96 and 9.99).

His name was not among the 29 names World Athletics released yesterday in the final entry list by Nigeria for the World Athletics Relays.

Godson Brume and Udodi Onwuzurike head the list of eight sprinters listed to compete for Nigeria in the men’s 4x100m event. Others are Alaba Akintola, Karlingthon Anunagba, Consider Ekanem, Seye Ogunlewe, and Israel Okon Sunday.

The men’s team will strive to be among the best 14 finishers to secure a lane in Paris for the first time since Beijing 2008 Olympics, where the quartet of Onyeabor Ngwogu, Obinna Metu, Chinedu Oriala and Uchenna Emedolu did not finish in the first heat of the event at the Bird’s Nest in China.

For the men’s 4x400m, African Games 400m champion, Chidi Okezie headlines the list of eight quartermilers listed to return Nigeria to the Games since 2004 when Godday James led the team to a bronze medal finish in Athens, Greece.

Others listed are Sikiru Adeyemi, Dubem Amene, Ezekiel Nathaniel and his brother, Samson Nathaniel, as well as Dubem Nwachukwu and Samuel Ogazi, who has been improving since his switch to University of Alabama and holds the Nigerian U-18 record and Ifeanyi Ojeli.

For the women, sprint hurdler, Amusan and Nigeria’s 200m record holder (indoors and out), Favour Ofili, will lead the 4x100m team that will also comprise Rosemary Chukwuma, Justina Eyakpobeyan, Tima Godbless, Elo Blessing and African Games double sprint medalist, Olayinka Olajide.

The women’s team is tasked with qualifying Nigeria for the Games and a place in the final eight years after the quartet of Gloria Asumnu, Blessing Okagbare, Jennifer Madu and Agnes Osazuwa last did at Rio 2016 Games in Brazil.

For the 4x400m, African Games hero, Omolara Ogunmakinju who literarily ensured Nigeria won the 4x400m mixed relay gold in Accra, Ghana, last month, top the list of quartermilers listed by the AFN.

Ogunmakinju will be joined by the three other women who have ran sub-52 seconds in the event, led by the leader, Ella Onojuvwevwo, who set a 51.32 lifetime best 10 days ago, African Games silver medalist, Elo Joseph, who ran inside 52 seconds thrice in Accra culminating in her setting a 51.61 personal best and Patience Okon George, who ran 51.97 at the African Games trials in Asaba, Delta State in February.

The team will have the arduous task of securing Nigeria’s first appearance in the 4x400m at the Games since London 2012 where the quartet of Ogunmakinju, Muizat Ajoke Odumosu, Regina George and Bukola Abogunloko ran in the final, but were later disqualified for lane violation after originally finishing in seventh place.

According to World Athletics, the first 14 placed countries at the World Relays in Bahamas automatically qualifying for the relay events at Paris 2024 Olympics.