Five Nigerian starlets to watch at CAA U18/U20 championships in Abeokuta

• AFN Targets To Make ‘One other Ofili’

As the countdown continues forward the third African U18/U20 Athletics Championships from July 16 to 20 in Abeokuta, Ogun Mumble, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is optimistic of producing the next generation of athletes that can step into the sneakers of prime stars love Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and Favour Ofili.

Ofili came to limelight in 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya, a success the 200m at the World junior championships. She is claimed to private applied for swap of allegiance to Turkey.

AFN Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, suggested journalists at a world press conference in Abuja true thru the week that they hope to make say of the 2025 CAA U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta to assassinate a plucky.

For Team Nigeria, this year’s mixed CAA U18/U20 is better than a championship. To them, the tournament in Abeokuta is a originate pad, a golden opportunity for rising stars to advise themselves on the continental stage and ignite careers that could well shape the long scoot of Nigerian athletics.

Among the contingent gearing up to wear the inexperienced-white-inexperienced with pleasure, a standout community of skills is already turning heads every within the community and internationally.

One of the most names to search out out about as they prepare to dazzle in Abeokuta consist of:
Chioma Nwachukwu, a 400m, 4x400m and Relay athlete has a Private Greater of 51.26s in 400m, 52.07s Indoor and 3:26.90 in 4x400m Relay.

A pupil at College of Iowa, USA, Nwachukwu was a gold medalist at the 2022 National Sports actions Competition and a champion at the Nigerian College Video games (NUGA). She has shattered college records at the College of Iowa in every the indoor and outdoors 4x400m relays. Her consistency earned her the Gigantic Ten Freshman of the Year title. She brings world-class collegiate expertise and mettlesome energy to Team Nigeria.

Okon Israel, a 60m, 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay athlete, Israel has a Private Greater of 9.91s in 100m, 6.51s in 60m and 20.80s in 200m. A pupil of Auburn College within the US, Israel, for the time being, is rewriting historical past. His blistering 6.51s within the 60m tied the college file at Auburn, inserting him alongside legends love Davidson Ezinwa and Favour Ashe on Nigeria’s all-time checklist.

A silver medalist at the SEC Indoor Championships and bronze medalist at the NCAA Indoors, he additionally led Nigeria to gold within the 4x100m at the 2023 African Video games. At comely 19, he holds the U20 nationwide 100m file — and the long scoot.

Favour Onyah, a 400m, 200m, 4x400m Relay runner, Onyah holds a Private Greater of 51.93s in 400m, 24.35s in 200m and 3:40.46 in 4x400m Relay.

A pupil of Southeastern Louisiana College within the US, Favour was named the 2024 Southland Conference Females’s Notice & Discipline Freshman of the Year.
She is immediate turning true into a dominant power within the quarter-mile haven marvelous for the NCAA East First Round in 400m and helped voice her college’s indoor 4x400m relay file. A bronze medalist at the 2023 Nigerian Trials and a relay gold medalist at MTN CHAMPS Asaba, she provides power and depth to Team Nigeria’s ladies’s relay lineup.

Gafari Badmus, a 400m, 200m, 800m, 4x400m Relay runner, Badmus protect a Private Greater of forty five.62s in 400m, 21.64s in 200m, 1:56.48 in 800m and 3:25.59 in Mixed Relay.

Though, Badmus is no longer for the time being enrolled, he's truly some of the brightest prospects in Nigeria’s childhood athletics machine. Already a gold medalist within the males’s 4x400m relay at the 2024 National Sports actions Competition, he has medaled across extra than one distances and showcased versatility with a promising 800m internal most finest. He is anticipated to assassinate a indispensable influence within the relays and individual events.

John Caleb is a 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay runner. Caleb holds a Private Greater of 10.39s in 100m, 21.19s in 200m and 40.28s in 4x100m. No longer for the time being enrolled, Caleb, a two-time champion at MTN CHAMPS Benin and Lagos, is the definition of consistency.

He impressed at the U18 Athletics Trials and has confirmed to be truly some of the nation’s fastest childhood. His snappy originate and though-provoking bend working assassinate him a harmful weapon in every the 100m and 200m.