Nigeria will be represented by a lean team of 13 athletes when the IAAF World Junior Championships get underway on Tuesday, July 19 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, with 10 home based athletes set to depart the shores of the country on Sunday.
The athletes had been camped in Abuja after the Nigerian Trials, but some of them were eventually dropped from the team a few days to the Championships due to paucity of funds. The athletes are expected to take off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Sunday evening, and will be joined by three of their US-based compatriots in Poland.
Nigerian Junior Champion in the Boys’ 100m, Raymond Ekevwo will race in the 100m and 4x100m in Poland. He comes with a Season’s Best (SB) of 10.35s and is ranked 20th on the 2016 World Junior rankings. Emmanuel Arowolo will compete in the sprint double as well as the 4x100m, and comes with SBs of 10.48s/21.01s respectively.
According to the IAAF Provisional Entry List, Biola Soyemi and Godwin Ashien were only listed for the 4x100m, while Bashiru Abdullahi (13.68s) and Timothy Emeoghene (51.72s) will participate in the 110m Hurdles and 400m Hurdles respectively.
University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) Freshman Oluwatobiloba Amusan is set to compete in her main event, the 100m Hurdles, as well as the 100m, and she is ranked No.1 in the former (12.83s) and 14th in the latter (11.50s).
Aniekeme Alphonsus will go for the sprint double and comes with an SB of 11.34s in the 100m, which puts her on the 7th spot in the rankings. She has also clocked a time of 23.78s in the 200m. Mercy Ntiabong will also do the 100m/200m, occupying the 12th spot in the 100m with a time of 11.47s, and 4th position in the 200m in 23.17s.
Ironically, she is followed in the 200m rankings by former team mate Edidiong Ofonime Odiong who will be making her debut for Bahrain, and is 5th with a time of 23.18s.
Former 200m National Champion, Praise Idamadudu will run in the 200m/400m, and has posted best times of 23.74s and 52.97s this season. Unfortunately, Yinka Ajayi who is ranked 4th in the Girls’ 400m will not make the trip to Poland. Blessing Adiakerewa is expected to compete in the relays.
Six officials will accompany the athletes on the trip. They are Abiodun Adeyemi (coach), Daniel Etse (coach), Gad Onomegu (coach), Isaac Godwin (Physio), James Eakyn (Secretary) and Seigha Porbeni (Co-ordinator).
