The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has named former Africa and Commonwealth long jump champion, Yusuf Alli, as the head of the organising committee for the 2023 Nigerian track and field championships scheduled to hold at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo state.
Yusuf Alli, who is Chairman of, Edo State Sports Commission, is best known for his record-breaking Jump of 8.27m at the 1989 African Championships held in Lagos. He won three medals at the Championships.
Also in the committee are Samuel Onikeku (Technical Director), Victor Okorie (Performance Director), Navy Commodore Nesiama Omatseye, Prof. Ken Anugweje, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Maria Wophill, Henry Okorie, Solomon Aliyu and Rita Mosindi, the AFN Secretary General.
The national trials will be used to select Nigeria’s athletes to the 2023 World Championships holding in Budapest, Hungary from August 19 to 27.
The Guardian learnt that some of the board members, who had formed ‘a rebel group’ against the AFN, while scrambling for sponsorship money, were left out of the organising committee. They were said to be running from pillar to post, yesterday, begging to be included in the committee.
Meanwhile, two-time AFN President, Solomon Ogba, has commended the Federation for choosing Alli to head the organising committee.
Ogba, who headed the committee last year in Benin City, where athletes were selected for the World Championship in Oregon, United States, and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, told The Guardian in a telephone chat yesterday from his base in the United States that Alli would do a perfect job.
“The choice of Yusuf Alli is perfect. I will be coming to Benin City to watch the best of Nigerian athletes on display and enjoy myself,” Ogba stated.
