Victor Okorie, a board member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) based in the
United States, expressed confidence in the strength of Nigeria’s men’s 400m squad for the upcoming season.
Okorie, a former 400m hurdler, highlighted the caliber of athletes currently in the squad and anticipated a highly competitive year.
At the recent AFN Golden League event in Abuja, Samuel Ogazi recorded an impressive
time of 45.91 seconds in the men’s 400m, a performance praised as “fantastic” by AFN’s
Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku.
Okorie noted that the competition among male 400m runners is expected to be stronger than in previous years. He mentioned the discovery of Nigerian athlete Dubem Nwachukwu, who runs the 400m in 44.91 seconds while representing Arizona State University.
Additionally, the squad already includes talented athletes such as Samson Nathaniel, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Sikiru Adeyemi, and Chidi Okezie. Okorie expressed confidence that the team would perform well if adequately supported in preparation for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, scheduled for August.
In order to facilitate the qualification of the 4x400m relay team, Okorie suggested
establishing a training camp for the athletes in the United States.
Meanwhile, Patience Okon-George, a veteran athlete, aims to achieve an A standard
performance after an impressive run of 51.92 seconds at the AFN Golden League in Abuja.
Her focus is on the World Championships in Budapest. Okon-George is expected to play a
crucial role in Nigeria’s women’s 4x400m and mixed relay teams, given her consistent
performance in the 400m since rising to prominence in 2015.
Okon-George expressed her satisfaction with her recent performance and emphasized her
determination to continue improving as they prepare for the world championships. She
mentioned upcoming meets in Lagos and the remaining legs of the Golden League before
the trials, expressing her readiness and reliance on God’s grace to perform well.
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