The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has concluded the trials for the upcoming CAA U-18/U-20 Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Here are the highlights
Day 1 Highlights
– *Boys’ U-18 100m*: Destiny Egbon won with a time of 11.9 seconds, followed by Adeniyi Adeola (11.26s) and Ajibare Ibrahim (11.33s).
– *Girls’ U-18 100m*: Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu took the top spot with a time of 12.00 seconds, ahead of Rosemary Nwankwo (12.11s) and Perezide Sigah (12.25s).
– *U-20 Girls’ 100m*: Cynthia Chioma Nweke dominated with a time of 11.77 seconds, followed by Success Oyibu (12.00s) and Lucy Nwankwo (12.13s).
Other Notable Performances
– John Caleb: Won the 100m Junior title with a time of 10.75 seconds, living up to his favorite status.
– Jecinta Lawrence: Impressed with a new personal best of 55.42 seconds in the 400m girls’ U-18 event, making her a likely leader for Team Nigeria.
– Toheebat Adebisi Jimoh: Claimed the U-20 girls’ 400m title with a new personal best of 54.04 seconds.
– *Christian Dickson*: Won the Boys’ U-20 110m hurdles with a new personal best of 14.46 seconds.
– *Emerald Makua*: Took the top spot in the Girls’ Shot Put with a throw of 13.60 meters.
*Coach’s Assessment*
AFN board member Lekan Soetan expressed satisfaction with the athletes’ performances, highlighting their potential to dominate the continent. He noted that the greatest challenges will come from countries like Egypt, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Botswana in throws, sprint, and quarter miles, while Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia will be strong in long-distance events. Soetan added that Team Nigeria is targeting around 90 athletes and aims for an excellent performance in Abeokuta.
