BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
Following the poor show of Team Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games in Japan, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, has commenced plans of unearthing budding athletes from the grassroots with the appointment of former Nigeria track and field international and World Athletics Level 1 coach, Samuel Onikeku, as the technical director of the federation.
Making the announcement in Tokyo on the sidelines of the XXXII Olympiad in Japan, Tonobok Okowa, president of the AFN, said Onikeku’s appointment was made in pursuant to article 8.6.5 of the Federation’s 2017 constitution and after consultations with stakeholders of the sport.
“This decision was made pursuant to article 8.6.5 of our AFN constitution and after careful consultations with the board members and other stakeholders in Nigerian athletics family,” said Okowa.
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.
The Point gathered that Onikeku’s first assignment will be to lead Nigeria’s U20 team to the World Junior Championships holding later this month in Nairobi, Kenya.
“The World Junior Championships is coming up this month in Kenya and we need the Technical Director who incidentally is also a qualified coach to pilot the affairs of the technical crew. I congratulate Mr. Samuel Onikeku and wish him success in the discharge of his duties,” the AFN boss added.
The move by the AFN to discover and nurture budding talents is coming on the heels of Chioma Ajunwa-Opara’s Foundation to unearth budding talents also from the grassroots that will make the country proud in future Olympics.
Ajunwa, 1996 Long Jump gold medalist and the first gold medalist in Nigeria’s Olympic Games history, took up the challenge to help unearth new Olympic gold champions for Nigeria through her Foundation, which is targeted at improving the lot of youngsters in sports.
Ajunwa while celebrating 25 years of that historic event recently in Lagos said it was high time new world-beaters are discovered and nurtured to stardom. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) stressed on the need to help discover new talents and nurture their dreams.
“It is on record that I am the only person on earth that has played football to the World Cup level and also won Olympic gold in athletics.
“We will have the Olympic Talent Hunt for girls in eight states of the federation, and will be followed by the launching of N6 billion ultra-modern sports development centre in Owerri, Imo State,” she revealed.
The Olympian said her greatest desire is to see young girls discover themselves and achieve greater heights.
“It is my fervent hope and wish that Nigeria as a country will produce more Chioma Ajunwas, Mary Onyalis, Falilat Ogunkoyas, and the Ezinwa brothers, and this can be done by initiating a deliberate and sustainable programme.”
“We wish to use this medium to invite prospective partners, government, the private sector, philanthropists and well-meaning Nigerians around the world and of course the media to the mega project,” she added.
The former Super Falcons star-turned athlete said her foundation has already picked three sports: athletics, football and Taekwondo to celebrate the golden jump.
The Point further gathered that a fundraising dinner will hold at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja on August 19, as the Chioma Ajunwa Foundation launches a N6 billion ultra-modern Sports Development Centre in Owerri later in the year.
Meanwhile, the federal government has announced a reward of $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 for gold, silver, and bronze medalists at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Director, Federation and Elite Athletes Department (FEAD), Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Simon Ebohjaiye, revealed this in Tokyo.
He made the announcement shortly after wrestler Blessing Oborodudu won Team Nigeria’s second medal at the Games and said the reward was an upward review from the initial amount announced due to the dedication of the athletes.
“Gold medalists will now be rewarded with $15,000, while silver and bronze medal winners will each get $10,000 and $7,500 dollars respectively.
“The earlier award is $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver, and $2,000 for bronze,” he said.
The director said the gesture was to drive home the point that the federal government would always reward superlative performance as Blessing Oborodudu made history by becoming the first Nigerian wrestler to win an Olympic medal courtesy of the silver medal she won in the women’s 68kg freestyle.
She will now get $10,000 for her efforts, while Long jumper, Ese Brume, who won Nigeria’s first medal at the Games with a bronze, will get $7,500.
