Okowa Hails Team Nigeria Fighting Spirit in Budapest

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, has praised Team Nigeria for what he described as a spirited and encouraging performance at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Despite the challenges that preceded their participation, Nigeria’s youthful contingent produced a series of competitive displays, reaching the final in four of the five events in which the country competed.

Two performances stood out in particular, with former world record holder Tobi Amusan claiming silver in the women’s 100m hurdles, while Kanyinsola Ajayi narrowly missed out on a podium place in the men’s 100m, placing fourth.

Okowa said the results had reinforced his confidence in the next generation of Nigerian athletes, insisting that the Budapest experience would form part of the country’s preparations for a bigger picture, the 2027 World Athletics Championships in China.

“I am very proud of the athletes and the way they represented Nigeria in Budapest. They showed courage, determination and the right competitive spirit despite the circumstances surrounding the team’s participation,” Okowa said.

“This is a young team and the fact that we made it to the final in four of the five events we competed in is very encouraging. Tobi Amusan’s second-place finish and Kanyinsola Ajayi’s near-podium performance in the 100m show that we have athletes capable of competing at the highest level.” Udodi Onwazuruike (200m) and Nathaniel Ezekiel (400M hurdles) were the other two that made it to the finals of their events.

The AFN president said the federation would now shift its attention towards building on the Budapest experience, with the World Championships in China firmly established as the federation’s major priority.

“The team to Budapest is a young one. The World Championship in China next year is the AFN’s big focus. We will continue to work with these athletes, identify areas that need improvement and prepare them properly for the World Championships,” he added.

Okowa disclosed that Samuel Ogazi, one of Nigeria’s promising young talents, was forced to miss the Budapest championship because of a toe injury.

The absence of Ogazi, the fastest man in the one lap race this year further underlined the challenges faced by the Nigerian team, but Okowa maintained that the performances recorded by those who competed provided plenty of encouragement for the federation.