Onikeku Optimism of winning medals at African U18/20 Championship

Samuel Onikeku and AFN president,Tonobok Okowa

Onikeku Optimism of winning medals at African U18/20 Championship

Hassan Abdulsalam 17:59 - 07.04.2023

The African U18/U20 Athletics Championship will take place in Zambia this month.

The technical director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Samuel Onikeku, expressed his optimism that Team Nigeria will win medals at the African U18/20 Championship.

The African U18/U20 Athletics Championship will take place in Zambia this month.

He added that the current President of the AFN, Chief Tonobok Okowa, has fulfilled some of his campaign promises to athletics enthusiasts.

The rising stars of Nigeria Athletics

Onikeku revealed this after the successful hosting of the AFN All Comers U18-20 Trials in Kaduna.

The inaugural Athletics Federation of Nigeria program was held in the North Western region of the country in 2023, according to the former 100-meter sprinter, who also predicted that other regions will see additional junior championships.

He said, "We are happy as a Federation bringing this 2023 AFN All Comers Trials to Kaduna and it represents the North West. This is something the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Chief Tonobok Okowa and the board said they were going to do because when the President was campaigning, he promised to bring championships to the Northern part of the country.

"The Ahmadu Bello Stadium track is still one of the fastest tracks in the country and the weather is always competition friendly; we are still going to have more championships this year in other Northern States."

Samuel Onikeku
Samuel Onikeku

He said, "AFN is excited that a National Record was set in Kaduna; we are happy that an U20 athletes, Ronke Akanbi set a seniors National Record in the 3,000m; that is something great and the board is optimistic that the future of Athletics is the youth.

"Ten Personal Best (PB) were set at the All Comers Trials in Kaduna; this has justified the purpose of the championship, which is to select athletes for the African U18/U20 Athletics Championship in Zambia.

"I want to assure Nigerians that the athletes will make Nigeria proud in Zambia like they did in Kenya a few years ago".

Onikeku, a Superintendent of Customs and Secretary of Customs Sports is a member of the new board of the AFN representing the Military and Para-Military constituency.

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