As the African Games in Ghana witness intense athletic competitions, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has emphasized that their objective extends beyond immediate medal wins.
Samuel Onikeku, the Technical Director of AFN, emphasized the importance of providing exposure to young athletes while preparing for future competitions.
“The mood in camp has been very nice. We’ve given the athletes a good opportunity to come to represent the country, and this is one of the first times that we are coming with a large contingent of home-based athletes,” stated Onikeku. He highlighted the composition of the team, consisting of 36 home-based athletes and 14 foreign-based athletes, as one of the largest numbers in recent times.
Onikeku clarified that the focus goes beyond winning medals in the current games, with preparations already underway for the next four years. “We are not just coming here to win medals, but we see that with the composition of our team, we are preparing for the next four years,” he explained. The aim is to groom young talents and ensure a smooth transition as experienced athletes retire.
“We are targeting ten gold medals to give us a leverage against teams like Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa. And then after the ten gold medals, we will now look at how we can consolidate. Maybe 12, 13 gold medals will not be bad,” Onikeku added, outlining ambitious yet achievable goals for the federation.
The AFN’s approach underscores a commitment to long-term development and sustainability in Nigerian athletics, paving the way for future successes on the continental and global stage.
