The Nigeria contingent for the 2024 Africa Senior Athletics Championships event that’ will take place in Douala, Cameroon has today departed from Lagos to Cameroon.
The Nigerian delegation for the 2024 events departed Lagos today ahead of the championship which will run from June 21 to June 26.
Favour Ofili, the freshly minted 100m champion, added: “I am confident we will top the medals table in Douala.”
Long jumper Ese Brume also promised to do her best to help Nigeria do well in Douala.
In the same spirit, Temitope Adeshina will strive to become the first Nigerian woman to be crowned African champion in the high jump event, following Nneka Ukuh and Doreen Amata’s silver medal performances.
Tobi Amusan, on the other hand, is not only the defending 100m hurdles winner at the championships; she is also going for a hat-trick of high hurdles crowns, having won in 2018 and 2022. If she succeeds, she will become the third Nigerian and African woman to win the event three straight times after Maria Usifo and Glory Alozie.
Also listed are sprinters Ushoritse Itshekiri, Kanyinsola Ajayi and Godson Oghenebrume for men and Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Tima Godbless for the women. While the men will be seeking to return Nigeria to the top since 2008 when Olusoji Fasuba won for the third consecutive time, the women will be seeking a first for Nigeria since 2014 when Blessing Okagbare ran a then Championships’ record of 11.00 to win the title.
In the 400m, reigning African Games champion, Chidi Okezie has been listed alongside teenage sensation, Samuel Ogazi and Dubem Amene with the sole task of returning Nigeria to the podium as African champion 26 years after Clement Chukwu won the gold in Dakar, Senegal.