Samuel Onikeku, the technical director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), remains optimistic about Nigeria’s prospects despite facing challenges with visas for the World Indoor Championships.
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Onikeku expressed satisfaction with the performance of Nigerian athletes, particularly in the shot put, and highlighted the unfortunate visa issues that affected the participation of the 4x400m relay team.
“We were happy, in short put, last year, the Egyptian was giving Ebuka challenges and he threw better than Ebuka in the World Championships,” said Onikeku, reflecting on the progress made by Nigerian shot put athletes.
He emphasized that the performance in shot put gives hope for success at the upcoming South African Games.
Regarding the World Indoor Championships, Samuel Onikeku lamented the inability of the 4x400m relay team to participate due to visa challenges.
Despite efforts by World Athletics to intervene, the visas could not be
obtained in time.
Onikeku noted that participation in the championships would have provided valuable insights into the team’s preparedness.
“We are still confident that our 4x400m team and the mixed relay team will do well because we’ve been competing,” stated Onikeku, expressing confidence in the team’s abilities.
He highlighted the importance of assessing preparedness through international competitions like the World Indoors.
Looking ahead, Samuel Onikeku expressed optimism about Nigeria’s prospects, mentioning plans to fine-tune preparations in the remaining three weeks.
Despite the setback with visas, he remains confident that the team will perform well in upcoming competitions.
“We are still okay, we are optimistic that this will go away,” concluded Samuel Onikeku, reaffirming his belief in the team’s resilience and determination to overcome challenges and achieve success on the international stage.
