President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Honourable Olamide George has stated that all hands are on deck towards seeing that the country’s athletes achieve successful and memorable outings at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan come July/August, megasportsarena.com reports.
Honourable George made the promise following the unveiling of AFN’s programme of activities for 2020 in Abuja, during which he further disclosed that the calendar was designed to bring life back into the sport that has suffered from maladministration in recent years.
He added that the country’s athletes will begin preparations in running, throwing and jumping from next month with the All-Comers Track & Field Competition in Akure, Ondo State.
While also revealing prize monies will be introduced at the AFN Classics proper, beginning from the first phase in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State at the end of February, George added that events at the 2020 National Sports Festival will be used to evaluate athletes’ performances for the Olympics.
The AFN’s media officer, Oludare Esan disclosed further in a press statement that George also used the occasion to assure Nigerian athletics fans and followers about the body’s determination to return the country to the podium at the Olympic Games, 12 years after Nigeria last won a pair of medals in track events at Beijing 2008 in China.
He concluded by allaying fears that crisis in the federation could prevent the AFN from executing its programmes to the fullest, and equally appealed for extensive support and cooperation from all Nigerians, especially the media, as he declared that a new chapter of transparency and high-level professionalism have opened in the administration of athletics in Nigeria.
George said at length: “We have made athletes the focus of our programme and have designed one that will ensure they attain optimum performance level for both the African Championships and the Olympics.
“We have secured the venue and will provide accommodation for athletes based on last year’s performance. There will be no prize money for this because it is an All-Comers affair. We are bringing back the Classics, our annual series of elite athletics competitions which produced so many champions for Nigeria in the past.
“So far, we have four legs of the competition and we are looking to see if we can add a fifth. We will use the National Sports Festival to invite athletes to our African Championship and Olympics camp. After that the AFN Classics will be used to evaluate their performances.
“We know there are athletes who may not reach peak form at the Festival and the AFN Classics will give these athletes the opportunity to get into our pre-African Championships and Olympics camp. We have some athletes that have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and we are, through the competitions we have lined up, trying to get a few more to make the qualification standard.
“More importantly, we need to get our relay teams to qualify for the quadrennial event. We are going to compete in some relays in the USA and Europe as well as utilise the two windows we will have at the African Championships in Algeria in June to either secure or cement our qualifications.
“We are focused on the Olympics and have submitted our programme to our supervisory body, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. We are lucky to have professionally minded and committed people in the Ministry headed by the indefatigable Sports Minister, Mr Sunday Dare. Recall his adoption programme in Lagos last December?
“It has helped greatly in reassuring our elite athletes that Nigeria is backing them all the way to the podium in Tokyo 2020 and beyond. There is no crisis in the AFN.”
