Second vice-president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Akuchukwu Aghazu has disclosed that the country’s track and field body is working hard to ensure that home-based athletes are kept busy all year round, Sports247 reports.
While commending recent achievements by Nigeria’s array of home-based athletes in major international competitions, Aghazu affirmed that those results validate the AFN’s commitment to developing promising talents within the country.
Aghazu further disclosed that the federation is intensifying some initiatives aimed at keeping home-based athletes with promising results active throughout the year, while identifying outstanding talents for intensive development programmes.
She also disclosed that the AFN is implementing programmes designed to keep homegrown talents engaged through competitions and training camps, while also stepping up efforts at selecting exceptional talents for intensive coaching sessions.
The AFN’s number two top shot acknowledged gains from the recent training camp in Asaba, with a view that the benefits were immediately evident in Nigeria’s performances at the World Relays in Botswana and African Championships in Accra, Ghana.
“The true strength of any athletics system is not measured by its stars or elites abroad but by the opportunities made available to athletes training in Nigeria. Home-based athletes represent the foundation of Nigeria’s athletics future.
“Their development remains a strategic priority for this current board of the AFN,” said Aghazu, who recently instituted a cash reward scheme totaling N3m to inspire home-based athletes ahead of the ongoing Commonwealth Games trials in Lagos.
The rewards, which are named in honour of her late father, Ben Aghazu, covers the men’s and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, 5000m, long jump and javelin events, as well as Excellence in Athletics Award for a male and female coach.
