President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa has declared that the country will be all out on Saturday to qualify ‘as many teams a possible’ for this year’s World Relays Championships in Gaborone, Botswana.
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Sports247 reports that Okowa made the declaration when he joined the country’s contingent of 15 athletes and three officials at the Lefika International Relays Qualifiers, which are also taking place this Saturday in Gaborone.
Okowa urged all athletes representing the country to also reciprocate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment towards sports development by picking tickets to the World Relays slated to hold at the same venue in May.
Chairman of the AFN’s media committee, Maxwell Kumoye disclosed that Okowa arrived at Gaborone International Airport at 2pm local time on Friday and headed straight to the Nigerian delegation’s camp at Emerald Hotel.
Kumoye revealed further in a media statement that Okowa quickly went to check on the athletes’ welfare, and used the moment to remind them of the task at hand, as he stressed that their mission in Botswana is not for sight-seeing.
Okowa declared, “We desire to have as many teams as possible at the World Relays Championships. That’s why we are here. We have never had it this good. We owe the President and the Commission the responsibility to deliver.
“To whom much is given, much is expected. The President has supported sports development in this country tremendously, particularly athletics (and the NSC) have made it easier to participate in these international tournaments.”
Sports247 gathered that Nigeria will compete in four events at the competition – men’s 4x100m and 4x400m as well as mixed 4x100m and 4x400m – with high hopes of securing qualification in all to the World Relays Championships.
Kumoye pointed out that the country’s women’s 4x100m and the women’s 4x400m relay teams have already qualified for the World Relays Championships, which has already given Nigeria two slots, but Okowa stressed he wants four more.
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