The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) announced yesterday that as many as six African Games and African Athletics Championship champions are among the athletes expected in Benin next week to battle for tickets to next month’s World Athletics Championship in Oregon, USA and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
The Nigeria championships which will serve as the Commonwealth Games and World Championship trials will hold from June 21 to June 23 in Benin City, Edo state.
AFN head of media, Oludare Esan revealed that the reigning African champions will be led by 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, the African Games and African Championship gold medalist and competitions record holder in shot put.
He added that Olympics, World and Commonwealth Games medalist and reigning African Games long jump queen, Ese Brume will also be in Benin as she bids for her fifth national title in the event and secure the ticket to Oregon where she will be hoping to become the first Nigerian woman to win two World Championship individual medals in two editions.
Esan also confirmed that Tobi Amusan who won the 110m hurdles title at the 22nd African championship last week in Mauritius will also be around to defend the sprint hurdles title she won at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos last year.
Others are Oyesade Olatoye, the African Games shot put champion who made history last week in Mauritius when she became the first Nigerian woman to win the gold medal in the hammer throw and Chioma Onyekwere, the reigning African Games and African championship discuss throw champion.
Two other African Games champions yet to be confirmed for the Benin championship are triple jumper Grace Anigbata and Javelin thrower Kelechi Nwanaga.
