Monday 13th, February, 2006 HOME | Previous Page
Nigeria Presents 32 Athletes For C/Wealth Games
•Udo-Obong In, Oriala Out
By Uzor Odigbo
Correspondent, Lagos
Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Sunday okayed 32 athletes for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games in Austrialia next month.
The athletes were selected after a keenly contested championship sponsored by ExxonMobil/NNPC which ended in Abuja at the weekend.
Athletes who made the Nigerian contingent are 100m men/4x100m Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Deji Aliu,Peter Emelezie and Uzodinma Alozie, others include Gloria Kemasuode, Mercy Nku, Endurance Ojokolo Jane Dike and Sussan Akene for the women’s 100/4x100m.
In the men’s 400/4x400m relay the entries include, Godday James, Bola Lawal, Saul Weigopwa, Musa Audu and Aniefiok Udo-Obong, while Ekpuhon Christy, Joy Eze, Kudirat Akhigbe, Folashade Abugan and Mabel Madujemu were listed in the 400/4x400m relay women.
AFN technical department also made good its promise to expose young and talented athletes with the listing of athletes in the field events for the Games. They include, John Osazuwa hammer men, Funke Adeoye hammer women, Lee Okoroafor Decathlon, Ibifuro Tobi-West, Esther Aghatese for long jump women, Nkiru Dike, Atonye Iworima and Chinoye Ohadugba for Triple jump and Grace Eboh for the 800m
The 100m and 110m hurdles have Joy Disha and Salim Nurudeen.
According to the federation’s technical and performance director Sunday Bada, athletes selection was a true reflection of good performance and hoped that their selection would further spur them to improving in their Performance in Melbourne
“I’m truly convinced that athletes selected won’t disappoint the country as they were chosen according to their performance which we hope would be improved upon at Melbourne”
Meanwhile, Udo-Obong earlier ruled out from the Commonwealth camp staged a serious come-back at the trials in Abuja by picking one of the slots in the 400m men event. The athlete’s joy knew no bounds when he noticed that his performance would take him to Melbourne.
However, compatriot Chinedu Oriala who raced to the third position in the men’s 100m finals was dropped for the Melbourne party for what AFN officials described as irregularities. Therºe was an order from above to drop Oriala from the Commonwealth Games team, explained an official.