It was with fun and pageantry that one of the newest financial institutions in the country, Premium Trust bank unveiled two of Nigerians biggest athletes, Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume as their Brand Ambassadors.

Tobi Amusan in 2022 had blaze several trails culminating in winning the World Championships and creating a new World Record in the Women 100m hurdles, first for any Nigerian living or dead, while Brume has been consistent since winning a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo before further medals at the World Indoors, World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Speaking at the unveiling, the minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said the two athletes signpost the future of the country’s athletes.

He also called on corporate organisations and individuals not to wait until the athletes are crown champions before associating with them, they should invest with them when they are young.

“These athletes never relent, always thrive, consistent in their performances,” the minister said.

“Even on the big stage, they knew they had it in them and they never stop and when the time came, they showed up big time, they showed up for themselves first having done the sacrifices, gone through the discipline, because if you have talents and you don’t add discipline to it, you cannot excel.

“I want to thank Tobi for doing that job in Oregon, not just breaking the record, but breaking it twice same night. I am thanking you on behalf of this country Nigeria, we are grateful.

“Brume on her part, most telling moment for me at the Olympics in Tokyo was the moment finished fourth in her race, the only person that could comfort her is Ese, not even her coach could do that, I am happy seeing the two of them here, happy to see what they have attained so far.

“Ese came third at the Olympics, but to us, it was a Golden Bronze, thank you because when you came to the Commonwealth games, you did it again.”

Also speaking at the unveiling, the MD/CEO of the bank, Emmanuel Emefienim, said the major goal of the bank is to support growth hence the maxim ‘Together for Growth’.

According to Emefienim, they decided to associate with the two renown athletes to drive towards enabling growth they put into their story.

He added: “This should serve as motivation to other athletes who dare to be different and win no matter their background, obstacles they have been through to get to where they are today.

“The two athletes’ story is just like the bank and I am happy with where we are today and we hope the partnerships bring great impact to the athletes, the sports industry and the country.”

The two athletes appreciated the bank for counting them worthy to be the Brand Ambassador and promised to maintain the standard expected of them.

Catching them young is a prerequisite to success. At the International Youth Summit 2022 Sports Fiesta of the Church of God Mission International in CGMI, Balm of Gilead City Edo State, Eke Progress Nwakaego set herself apart as a golden girl with four gold medals and was the cynosure of all eyes with her sterling performance

The 15-year-old won gold in the 100 metres sprint, gold in the 200 metres and powered her team to gold in the 4×100 metres relay. She also won gold in Volleyball. Her blistering pace set her apart and when she moved, she ran like a cheetah.

At the closing ceremony, she was given an ovation, with many people jostling to take pictures of the golden girl, for the sake of history.

She is gifted and it is plain to see. The versatile 15 year old started her progress early. In March, she was the highest goal scorer in her school’s football event at the annual Inter-house Sports Competition. That was not enough for the highly gifted Progress, she further won three gold medals in track events. It is safe to say that she is made for gold. Everything she touches in sports turns to gold

This is time to harness this gift and set her on a part of stardom, to represent the country in the near future, perhaps in the junior athletics.

Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Nse Uko Imaobong, Grace Nwokocha, Joy Udo Gabriel, Rosemary Chukwuma, and other stars started as young girls and the result of being proactive is clear

Progress is an SS1 student of the Presbyterian Model School, Ehere Road Ogborhill Aba. It is safe to say that soon, her journey will be “from Aba to the world”.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria and local athletics coaches should seek out this gem and make her the next Tobi Amusan or Chioma Ajunwa.

The Abia State Government and the Sports Ministry can adopt this budding star and help actualise this dream, that of winning gold medals at the bigger stage. The National Sports Festival is a good start

Eke Progress Nwakaego has risen, the golden girl is set to fly on the tracks and her target is to win gold

*It’s New Dawn for Nigerian Athletics Says Sports Minister Dare

Nigeria left her best for the last day of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America by winning a gold and a silver medal.

Tobi Amusan broke the 100m hurdles World Record in the semi finals with an astonishing 12.12s and followed up with a (+2.5)wind assisted 12.06s in the final.

The time in the final would not be recognised as it was well over the legal +2.0 wind assist allowed in Athletics.

Before then, she had run 12.40s in the heat to set a new African Record.

Amusan has now become Nigeria’s first ever World Champion in athletics.

Team Nigeria would go on to celebrate another podium finish in the Long Jump, with Ese Brume’s 7.02m leap.

Brume won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Reacting to Nigeria’s late rally for medals in Oregon and the country’s best performance ever at the Championships, Sports Minister Sunday Dare said these heartwarming feats will herald a new dawn for Nigerian athletics.

“I am so proud of what Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and even those who didn’t get on the podium have achieved in Eugene, Oregon. This is the beginning of great things for Nigerian athletics. This is a new dawn.

“Years of hard work and consistently knocking on the door has yielded the right dividends. For the first time in our history we have a World Champion. This is huge. Congratulations to Nigeria.”

The Minister also highlighted a few other positive results for Team Nigeria even though they did not end in podium finishes.

“For me, these medals are not the only positives from the World Championships. The 4×100m relay teams(men and women)showed a lot of promise for the future.

“The women barely got here as the 16th best team in the world but they got so close to getting on the podium, the men also gave it their best shot and showed they have a bright future.

“Our athletes in the short sprints also showed character. Some of them are competing on a high level stage like this for the first time, rubbing shoulders with very experienced and tournament tested veterans and legends and not falling too far behind in extremely tough situations.

“They can beat their chests and be proud of what they have achieved. We now have the responsibility to continue to support them by creating the right environment for their growth.”

With the World Championships now over, focus would shift to the Commonwealth Games starting later this week in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

“We have gained a great momentum going into the Commonwealth Games now, this will definitely inspire Team Nigeria to making a huge impact in Birmingham,” Dare concluded.

The insistence of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on stricter anti-doping measures and the increase in the number of testings by the National Anti-Doping Agency(NADA) has earned Nigeria the commendation of the Athletics Integrity Unit(AIU).

The Athletics Integrity Unit(AIU) is the special unit created by the international athletics body, World Athletics to oversee all issues relating to doping control among its members.

Nigeria is placed in Category A which is the lowest ranking of Federations and the athletes from countries in this category must have at least three(3)Out of Competition Testings(OCTs), each test three(3)weeks apart within the ten(10)months leading to a major International event like the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, ten out Nigeria’s twenty three athletes were barred from competing owing to their failure to meet this AIU requirement(Rule 15 of AIU framework)that came into force in January 2019.

However, all twenty five(25) Nigerian athletes registered for the ongoing 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America were cleared to participate having met the requirement.

Also, from a meagre twenty six(26) tests conducted on Nigerian athletes in 2021, one hundred and fifty seven(157)tests have already been done in 2022.

In commending Nigeria, David Howman, chairman of the AIU board said he was pleased to see significant improvements in the efforts to clean up the sport.

“I particularly commend the Nigerian team. It is amazing what can be achieved when the domestic authorities start taking anti doping seriously.

“While there have clearly been positive steps across the board, there are still many improvements to be made in the application of the rule and we will continue to work with the Category A Federations to do so,” he added.

Sports Minister Sunday Dare who has been the driving force in the push to improve Nigeria’s anti doping status and image says the AIU’s commendation is confirmation that the Ministry is doing something right.

“We cannot afford a repeat of the embarrassment we got in Tokyo where ten of our athletes were declared ineligible to compete on technical grounds as a result of the breach of the AIU rule. We had to be proactive and put stricter measures in place, not minding the attacks and snide comments from certain quarters.

“This commendation shows we are doing the right thing. It will spur us on to continue to do all we can to improve our anti doping status and image,” Dare said.

The Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi is hosting athletes from over 200 countries for the championship which begins today with the final of the 4×400m mixed relay event with Team Nigeria fielding Bamidele Ajayi, Johnson Chidira (men), Oke Opeyemi, and Ofili Favour (women) in the race, this will run till August 22.

Team Nigeria will begin its chase for medals this morning with the duo of Godson Brume and Ashe Oghenetejiri Favour joining the contest for qualification tickets in the men’s 100m event.

In the women’s 100m event, Team Nigeria’s duo of Tima Godbless and Ofoku Praise will contest for qualification to the next round.

Also today, U.S.-based Nigerian junior sprinter, Dubem Amena, and Bamidele Ajayi, will compete in the 400m heat event for men, just as Oke Opeyemi and Imaobong Nse Uko will race for qualification tickets in the women’s category.

AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, said “We are hoping for medal hauls in this competition, the athletes are in high spirit ahead of the opening ceremony.”

It was a great spectacle for the fans that thronged the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex in Lagos on Thursday, June 17, the opening day of the 2021 National Olympic Games trial as Nigeria’s undisputed queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare and rave of the moment Enoch Adegoke gave them something that will linger in their memories for a long, long time.
The 32 year old Olympics, World and Commonwealth Games medalist stormed to a 10.63 seconds finish to win the women’s 100m title.
It was her eighth National 100m title to pull clear of Endurance Ojokolo as the second most decorated sprinter in the blue ribband race after Mary Onyali who won 11 titles.
Okagbare showed a glimpse of what to expect in the semi final heat when she scorched to a 10.99 seconds finish.

Okagbare’s 10.63 seconds finish is the fastest time ever run in the national championship and the 2014 Commonwealth Games double sprint gold medal winner said she is in great form ahead of the delayed 2020 Olympic Games.
“Since the start of this season, i see myself as very ready,” she said.
“I feel healthy, stronger and like the real Blessing Okagbare again. I am really happy that this time came down today, it will boost my confidence, my faith and trust in God. I just hope this same thing happen at the Olympics.
“I have been working on everything and I hope it counts at the big stage, that’s the Olympics. I was very disappointed at my last meet when I ran 11.2, I was like this is not me, so when they mentioned the trials, I said I am going to be there, not because I just want to run, but because I really want to compete and run well.
“But above all, I am healthier and when you have good health, the confidence will be there, and I am hoping for the best in Tokyo.
“I have to go to the Olympics, do better than I did or better still replicate it, you might not need to run like this to win the Olympics, at the Games you just want to get to the finishing line.”
Another US-based athlete, Rosemary Chukwuma finished second in 11.07 while National Sports Festival winner, Grace Nwokocha finished third in 11.11 seconds.
In the absence of US-based Divine Oduduru and Raymond Ekevwo, the fans were looking up to Edo 2020 Festival duo of Alaba Akintola and Enoch Adegoke winning the trials.
Akintola however cupped an injury in the semis leaving Adegoke who raced home in a new 10.00 seconds personal best and in the process confirm his place in Team Nigeria’s flight to the Olympics in Tokyo. Adegoke thought he had made the 10.05 seconds entry standard in the semifinal but he was just one hundreth of a second off the time as he was timed 10.06 seconds.

Other opening day results saw Fatoyinbo Gbenga and Fadekemi Olude winning the 20km Race Work for both men and women respectively.

The Tokyo Olympic trials will begin on Thursday June 17 with some of Nigeria’s best athletes aiming to either earn tickets that will get them a place in the Tokyo-bound flight or to confirm their qualification after scaling the qualification standard hurdles set by World Athletics for the Games.

The much anticipated championship will witness the best of Nigerian track and field and a celebration of the new board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, led by Chief Tonobock Okowa.

Complete Sports brings you 5 of the best Nigerian athletes who will grace the Day 1 of the Championship on Thursday.

Blessing Okagbare (100m):
Blessing is undoubtedly the greatest sprinter Nigeria has ever seen and she will be the cynosure of all eyes as she attempts to win her eighth 100m title.

Only former African queen of the track, the delectable Mary Onyali has won more (11) and Okagbare will be looking to pull clear of ‘The Bulldozer’ Endurance Ojokolo who dominated the national 100m scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning seven national titles.

The 32 year old Okagbare holds the Nigerian record in the event (10.79) and has broken 11 seconds a staggering 21 times, 19 more than any other Nigerian sprinter.

This term, Okagbare is coming to the trials in superb form after running a personal season’s best of 10.90 seconds last May at the second leg of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.

The beautifully built, long striding Sapele-born sprinter has ducked inside 11 seconds three times so far this term and holds the 11.02 seconds championship record she set on her last appearance in the competition in 2016 in Sapele.

Tobi Amusan (100m Hurdles):
Since Glory Alozie retired, Tobi has proved to be her perfect successor and the former will be watching with keen attention as the reigning Commonwealth Games champion attempts to run her first sub 13 seconds race at the championships, break Angela Atede’s 12.63 seconds championships record and Alozie’s 12.44 seconds African record!.

Amusan came close to breaking the African record but for a tailwind that renders her 12.43 seconds run in Florida early this month illegal. Alozie knows it is just a matter of time before the 24 year old breaks her record.

Two years ago at the African Games, Amusan erased from history books Alozie’s 12.74 seconds Games record set 20 years earlier with a first sub 12.70 seconds (12.68) performance in the history of the competition.

This year, Amusan has broken 13 seconds an incredible seven times ( five legal) and the petite hurlder will be eyeing her third in the month of June and eight overall.

Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha (100m):
No home based athletes has run faster in Nigerian than Grace in over two decades!. The 20 year old stormed into national consciosness like a bolt out of the blues when she raced to an 11.09 personal best at the MOC Grand prix in Lagos at the end of March.

That was the fastest time on Nigerian soil in five years and the fastest by a home based athletes in over 20 years.

Grace has won every 100m race in Nigeria since 2020 but she will face her biggest test yet when she lines up against Blessing Okagbare in what local athletics watchers believe will be one of the most exciting 100m races since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

She has become one of the few home based athletes to make the qualification standard for the Olympics right here in Nigeria and the first since Ese Brume jumped 6.83m to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Grace also set a new 22.79 seconds in the 200m to win the half lap gold at the Edo 2020 National Sports festival.

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put):
Chukwuebuka will be looking to win his first national title since he came into the Nigerian shot put scene in 2018 when he won the shot put and discus throw titles at the Abuja Nigeria Sports Festival.

The 28 year old came into national consciousness in early 2018 when he won a silver medal for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.

He has gone on to win the African Games gold medal two years ago in Rabat, Morocco and became the first and so far only Nigerian to make the last eight at World Athletics’ flagship event, the World Athletics Championships.

Annette Echikunwoke (Hammer Throw):
During his inauguration of the Tonobock Okowa led board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Sports Minister Sunday Dare says ‘this is a new dawn for Nigerian athletics’.

The Minister is right. While we are having a new seed replacing the rotten one sowed by Solomon Dalung in 2017, in far away United States of America, Annette has been busy rewriting the Nigerian hammer history with a series of throw of 70m.

No Nigerian hammer thrower has ever hit the 70m mark but Annette has done it not just once but five times this season. He has now set the Nigerian record multiple times this season with the 75.49m she threw last May at the USATF Throws Fest in Tucson, Arizona the new National record.

Annette also made history as the first Nigerian woman to qualify for the Olympics in the event.

Okagbare, who is eyeing her eighth 100m title to move one clear of Enduarance Ojokolo as the second most decorated sprinter in the blue ribband event after Mary Onyali (11 titles) last competed in the competition in 2016 when she ran an 11.02 seconds Championships record in Sapele.

The Olympics, World, Commonwealth and African Games medallist will be wary of the form of Nwokocha who stormed to an 11.09 seconds personal best at the end of March on the track of the Yaba College of Technology track, venue of the 2021 National Championships.

It was the fastest 100m title by a home-based sprinter in about two decades and the fastest since Okagbare ran 11.02 seconds five years ago in Sapele.
Okagbare will also be looking to become the first Nigerian sprinter to run inside 11 seconds at the championships.

The Commonwealth Games double sprint champion is the reigning Nigerian record holder in the event ( 10.79) and the only one who has run under 11 seconds among the competitors for the 100m title.

She holds a personal season’s best of 10.90 seconds she ran at the second leg of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar in April and has broken 11 seconds thrice this season.

She has already booked her ticket to the Olympics in Tokyo where she will be aiming to become the first Nigerian, man or woman to make a podium appearance in the most glamorous track event.

The key event for the opening day of the Championships is the 100m with both the men and women’s finals taking place in the evening after the preliminaries set to hold in the morning.

Morning events will witness the 20km women and men final, the 100m prelims, 400m heat (men and women), 1,500m women’s final and the hammer women’s final.

Also on Thursday, reigning African Shot Put king, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will be the cynosure of all eyes as he eyes his first National title in the event.

Enekwechi, who has also secured a place in Team Nigeria’s flight to Tokyo is the only Nigerian shot putter who has hit the 21m mark and over so far this season.

Sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan will be praying for a favourable weather as she aims to challenge not only the 12.63 seconds Championships record set by Amgela Atede in June 1997 in Lagos but also the 12.44 seconds African record she came close to breaking early this month at the NACAC New Life Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, USA where her 12.43 seconds finish was aided by a +4.5mps tail wind.

Amusan will also be looking to become the third athletes after Atede and Glory Alozie (twice) to run inside 13 seconds in the history of the championships.
The petite sprint hurdler’s only sub 13 seconds run in the event (12.97) was achieved in Ozoro, Delta state at the Warri Relays in 2017.

The atmosphere around the Yabatech Sports Complex is currently wearing a new look ahead of the 2021 National Championships and Invitational Relays starting on Thursday, June 17.

The trials, which will be used to select Nigeria’s contingent to the delayed Games of the XXXII Olympics in Tokyo which is scheduled to hold from July 23 to August 8, 2021, will see 11 events taking place on the opening day.

The fans will have the opportunity of watching queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare (100m and 200m) competing alongside other top athletes like Tobiloba Amusan (100mH), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Grace Nwokocha (100m and 200m), Ruth Usoro (Long and Triple Jump), Annette Echiunwoke (Hammer Throw), Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) among others.

The National Championships is the flagship event of the AFN where the nation’s top athletes will converge to compete for honours and qualifications for major Championships and Games.

Morning events will witness the 20km women and men final, the 100m prelims, 400m heat (men and women), 1,500m women final and the hammer women final.
Apart from the 100m finals expected to take place in the afternoon, there will be the shot put men final with all eyes on Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.

Tobi Amusan will be geared up towards erasing the African Record in the women’s 100m hurdles when she takes to the track in the heat with the men’s 110m hurdles also taking place on Thursday.

Other events on the opening day are javelin men final and the 5000m men final.

Speaking during the inauguration of the new AFN board by the Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, in Abuja on Tuesday, Alao said he would be working alongside other state chairmen to develop track and field in the zone.

It would be recalled that Alao defeated the former vice president of the AFN, Olamide George, in the zonal election and has assured athletes and officials of a new dawn.

“Foremost I will say there was no winner as all we are looking forward to is the development of athletics in our zone,” he said.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank those who came out to vote, but I will say the work starts now.

“There are lots of programmes we have experimented with in Lagos since we came on board as an association that yielded positive results, and with this election over, we are going to see how we can replicate them throughout the zone.
“Now, we have to do things in the right way, we have to start earnestly, we have to rebuild, Nigeria must take back its rightful place.

“I have been in sports in the last 20 years, I will bring my experience to bear, on all assignments, I want to tell you that things will begin to change at the Southwest zone.
“I already have a lot of support, I also have a strong pedigree behind me, not just mine alone, but everyone supporting me.”