Former National Triple Jump king Tosin Oke has been cleared to compete at the 16th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships which begins on Friday in London, United Kingdom.
The news about Oke’s registration for the Triple Jump event at the championships was conveyed by the IAAF to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) on Tuesday.
Oke, who holds a Season’s Best (SB) of 16.70m and qualified for the championships as an area champion following his victory at the African Championships last year in Durban, South Africa, will be making his third competitive trip to the championships after making his debut in 2009 at the 12th edition of the IAAF flagship event in Berlin, Germany.
He was a finalist two years ago in Beijing, China at the 15th edition of the championships where he hopped, stepped and jumped 16.81m to end up as the 8th best Triple Jumper at the event.
Oke’s addition has increased to 17 the number of Nigerian athletes that will compete at the championships following the addition of sprint hurdler, Lindsay Lindley in the 100m Hurdles and the 4x100m women’s relay team which has reigning national 100m champion Aniekeme Alphonsus, Wisdom Isoken, Jennifer Madu and Maria Thompson Omokwe, with Blessing Okagbare and Lindley joining the group after their respective individual events.
Meanwhile, Okagbare has arrived London for the 16th IAAF World Championships which is scheduled to begin on Friday. The double medallist at the 14th edition of the championships in Moscow, Russia in 2013, arrived on Tuesday to begin her final preparation four days before she takes to the track at the London stadium for the first round of the 100m event. Okagbare is making her fourth trip to the championships.
In a related development, the British Embassy in Nigeria is yet to issue entry visas to athletes who are scheduled to leave for London from Nigeria with only two days before the start of the championships.
AFN Secretary General Amaechi Akawo told the AFN News that he has not received any positive response from the Embassy as at the close of work on Tuesday but believes the visas will be issued before the championships get underway on Friday.
Akawo also disclosed that the president of the federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau is already in London for the 51st IAAF Congress.
“The president arrived London on Monday evening and has been checked into the IAAF hotel where federation presidents from all affiliated federations are lodged for the Congress which began on Tuesday with registration of delegates from over 200 national Member Federations”, he said.
He also revealed Honourable Gusau will on Wednesday morning join his other colleagues from over 200 countries in an innovative one-day convention called IAAF Athletics Connect on Wednesday, 2nd August, designed to bring together and inspire the global Athletics community.
The congress proper will be held on Thursday, August 3rd, the eve of the championships. The AFN president will be joined later on Wednesday by his vice, Olamide George who flew into London early Wednesday morning.
