2019 All-Nigeria track and field championships begins in Kaduna
Nigerian short sprint record holders Blessing Okagbare and Divine Oduduru are among the stars on parade as the 2019 All-Nigeria Track and Field Championships kicked off on Thursday in Kaduna.
The annual event serves as the trials for athletes who will represent Nigeria at the 2019 African Games in Casablanca, Morocco and the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the championships has now set alight the tracks of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.
The athletes will be contesting for the national titles and tickets to the two championships from the races, throws and jumps.
Records are therefore expected to tumble, especially in the men’s 100m and 200m events, where US-based Divine Oduduru has recently shown himself to be a force.
The other events to be competed for included the triple jump, the female sprints, quarter-miles and the javelin throw.
Speaking on the readiness of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for the three-day fiesta, AFN Technical Director Sunday Adeleye said they were ready for the competition.
He said they were set to organise one of the best trials in recent years.
“We are set for a competitive track and field championships.
“This is the first time the competition is coming to Kaduna state and considering that Ahmadu Bello Stadium’s tracks are fast, few records are at the risk of being shattered and new ones to be set.
“The athletes are in good shape and the weather is good. So far, we expect good performance all round from all the athletes.
“But, above all, we have set standards for all events and we are hoping that many athletes will make the standard to participate at the African Games and the Worlds,” Adeleye said.