African athletics: Team Nigeria starts camping in Shagamu 

Team Nigeria for the U18/U20 African Athletics Championship will begin camping today, Wednesday, in Shagamu, following the national trials that ended on Tuesday.

And in a bid to get members of Team Nigeria to the forthcoming Championships in Abeokuta fully ready and fit for the big task ahead, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has fashioned out a special diet routine for the team.

The carefully selected meals will aid the young athletes in order to get them ready for the competition.

Meanwhile, about 12 events were decided on the final day of the CAA U18/U20 national trials on Tuesday with Gafar Badmus winning the U20 men’s 400m title under poor weather conditions.

Badmus’s 45.78s was fast and good enough to win the men’s 400m junior title. David Akhalu came second in a new Personal Best of 46.34s while Ezekiel Eno went under 47s for the first time, running a PB of 46.42s to finish third.

Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo were dominant in the U-18 girls’ 200m. Ezechukwu won the race in a time of 24.06s (0.1), while Nwankwo came second in 24.53s and Mariam Jegede completed the top three in a time of 24.80s.

In the U-20 women’s 200m final,  Success Oyibu stunned the 2024 National Sports Festival gold medallist, Cynthia Chioma Nweke, to finish in a time of 23.80s (-0.6).

Cynthia Chioma Nweke, came third clocking a time of 24.20s behind Lucy Nwankwo who ran a new Personal Best of 24.15s to cap an impressive trials outing in Sagamu. 

Perfect Faye, is one of the many athletes the Technical Committee of the Federation should keep a close watch on. He produced an excellent finish in the U-18 Boys’ 200m final, running a new PB to win the race. 

Faye ran a new PB of 21.68s. Ajibare Ibrahim finished second in the race, clocking 21.71s, while Destiny Egbon who won the 100m a day earlier came in third in 21.98s

John Caleb made it a sprint double at the National U-20 trials, winning the men’s 200m Junior title on Day 2 of the selection process. 

Caleb won the 200m final, in a time of 21.37s (-1.1) to edge Joachim Uyovwiyoma who returned a time of 21.88s. Oluwatobi Malik finished outside the 21s bracket in third place with a time of 22.01s.