Izuchukwu OkosiWorld record holder in the 100m hurdles, Tobiloba Amusan headlines a list of 29 athletes named by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for the World Athletics Relays Championship in the Bahamas, reports Prime Business Africa.
Athletes from 54 countries will compete in the event that is expected to feature over 893 track and field stars in the city of Nassau on May 4 and 5, 2024.
Amusan is expected to represent Nigeria in the 4x100m relays where she participated in and was part of a gold-winning quartet at the 2023 African Games in Ghana.
The athlete had also won gold with other athletes at the last Commonwealth Games but the medal was taken away from Nigeria due to doping offences by a member of the team.
Other athletes who made the cir include Favour Ofili (Nigeria’s 200m record holder), Rosemary Chukwuma, Tima Godbless, Justina Eyakpobeyan, Elo Blessing, and Olayinka Olajide.
Conspicuously missing from the list is Nigeria men’s 4x100m star, Favour Ashe, who is the country’s fastest man so far with two sub -10 second finishes (9.96 and 9.99).
There has not been an official reason given by the Athletics Federation for the decision but sources hint that the Auburn University scholar may have been prevented by his school from attending the competition.
In the absence of Ashe, hopes for Nigeria’s medal rush in the men’s event will come from the athletes like Udodi Onwuzuruike, Godson Oghenebrume, Alaba Akintola, Seye Ogunlewe, Israel Okon Sunday, Karlington Anunagba and Consider Ekanem.
Leading Nigeria’s charge in the 4x400m event will be African Games champion, Chidi Okezie, Dubem Nwachukwu, the Nathaniel brothers; Samson and Dubem Nathaniel, Sikiru Adeyi, Samuel Ogazi and Ifeanyi Ojeli.
Patience Okon-George offers experience for Nigeria in the women’s 4x400m event and she will be supported by the likes of Omolara Ogunmakinju, Elo Joseph and Ella Onojuvwevwo.
The World Relays will serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics in Paris with the top 14 athletes automatically securing their placed in the Games.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
