Udodi, Brume, others storm Benin City for AFN’s Olympics trials

United States-based sprinter, Udodi Onwuzurike and many other athletes, including Godson Brume, Tima Godbless and thrower Chinecherem Nnamdi, will storm the ancient city of Benin, Edo State, today ahead the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) National Trials starting tomorrow.

The National Trials, which the AFN is using to select the nation’s athletes for the 2024 African Senior Championships in Douala, Cameroon and the Paris Olympics will end on June 18. It holds at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

All the foreign-based athletes, their home-based counterparts, coaches and track and field administrators are expected to move into Benin City today.

Already, top stars including World Record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Tobiloba Amusan; Favour Ashe, Temitope Adeshina, and Samuel Ogazi have arrived the country.

United States-based Performance Director of AFN, Victor Okorie, also arrived in Lagos, yesterday. He told The Guardian that Africa and Commonwealth Games long jump queen, Ese Brume, would jet in tomorrow.

The likes of Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Chidi Okezie were expected to come in yesterday,

Okezie just qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics clocking a Personal Best of 44.97s with an Olympic Standard at the Edmonton Athletics Invitational.

With this performance, Okezie moved up to 10th place in Nigeria’s history and second in the country this season. He is the second Nigeria athlete to tick the Olympic qualifying mark in the 400 metres.

Meanwhile, AFN President Tonobok Okowa, told The Guardian, yesterday, that the federation would pick only the best athletes, who are capable of winning medals for the country at the African Senior Championships in Douala.

“For years, we have been looking for a way to top the medals table in the African Senior Championships, and I think we have the chance to make history this year in Douala, Cameroun based on the caliber of stars we have. We will pick only our best athletes in this National Trials not only for our trip to Cameroun but for the Paris Olympics,” Okowa stated.