• AFN Aims To Produce ‘Another Ofili’
As the countdown continues ahead the 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships from July 16 to 20 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is optimistic of producing the next generation of athletes that will step into the shoes of top stars like Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and Favour Ofili.
Ofili came to limelight in 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya, winning the 200m at the World junior championships. She is said to have applied for change of allegiance to Turkey.
AFN Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, told journalists at a world press conference in Abuja during the week that they hope to use the 2025 CAA U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta to make a bold.
For Team Nigeria, this year’s combined CAA U18/U20 is more than a championship. To them, the event in Abeokuta is a launch pad, a golden opportunity for rising stars to announce themselves on the continental stage and ignite careers that could shape the future of Nigerian athletics.
Among the contingent gearing up to wear the green-white-green with pride, a standout group of talents is already turning heads both locally and internationally.
Some of the names to watch as they prepare to dazzle in Abeokuta include:
Chioma Nwachukwu, a 400m, 4x400m and Relay athlete has a Personal Best of 51.26s in 400m, 52.07s Indoor and 3:26.90 in 4x400m Relay.
A student at University of Iowa, USA, Nwachukwu was a gold medalist at the 2022 National Sports Festival and a champion at the Nigerian University Games (NUGA). She has shattered school records at the University of Iowa in both the indoor and outdoor 4x400m relays. Her consistency earned her the Big Ten Freshman of the Year title. She brings world-class collegiate experience and fearless energy to Team Nigeria.
Okon Israel, a 60m, 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay athlete, Israel has a Personal Best of 9.91s in 100m, 6.51s in 60m and 20.80s in 200m. A student of Auburn University in the US, Israel, at the moment, is rewriting history. His blistering 6.51s in the 60m tied the school record at Auburn, placing him alongside legends like Davidson Ezinwa and Favour Ashe on Nigeria’s all-time list.
A silver medalist at the SEC Indoor Championships and bronze medalist at the NCAA Indoors, he also led Nigeria to gold in the 4x100m at the 2023 African Games. At just 19, he holds the U20 national 100m record — and the future.
Favour Onyah, a 400m, 200m, 4x400m Relay runner, Onyah holds a Personal Best of 51.93s in 400m, 24.35s in 200m and 3:40.46 in 4x400m Relay.
A student of Southeastern Louisiana University in the US, Favour was named the 2024 Southland Conference Women’s Track & Field Freshman of the Year.
She is fast becoming a dominant force in the quarter-mile haven qualified for the NCAA East First Round in 400m and helped set her school’s indoor 4x400m relay record. A bronze medalist at the 2023 Nigerian Trials and a relay gold medalist at MTN CHAMPS Asaba, she adds strength and depth to Team Nigeria’s women’s relay lineup.
Gafari Badmus, a 400m, 200m, 800m, 4x400m Relay runner, Badmus hold a Personal Best of 45.62s in 400m, 21.64s in 200m, 1:56.48 in 800m and 3:25.59 in Mixed Relay.
Though, Badmus is not currently enrolled, he is one of the brightest prospects in Nigeria’s youth athletics system. Already a gold medalist in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2024 National Sports Festival, he has medaled across multiple distances and showcased versatility with a promising 800m personal best. He is expected to make a major impact in the relays and individual events.
John Caleb is a 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay runner. Caleb holds a Personal Best of 10.39s in 100m, 21.19s in 200m and 40.28s in 4x100m. Not currently enrolled, Caleb, a two-time champion at MTN CHAMPS Benin and Lagos, is the definition of consistency.
He impressed at the U18 Athletics Trials and has proven to be one of the country’s fastest teenagers. His quick start and sharp bend running make him a dangerous weapon in both the 100m and 200m.
