Ahead CAA U-18/U-20 Championships: AFN plans special diet for Team Nigeria as trials ends

In a bid to get members of Team Nigeria to the forthcoming CAA U-18/U-20 Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State fully ready and fit for the big task ahead, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has fashioned out a special diet routine for the team.

The carefully selected meals that will aid the young athletes will be offered during the team’s camping which begins today in Shagamu after the national trials ended on Tuesday.

Our correspondent gathered that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria will keep a close mark on the contingent’s stay in camp in order to get them ready for the competition.

Meanwhile, about 12 events were decided on the final day of the CAA U-18/U-20 national trials on Tuesday with Gafar Badmus winning the U-20 men’s 400m title under poor weather conditions.

Badmus’s 45.78s was fast and good enough to win the men’s 400m Junior title. David Akhalu came second in a new Personal Best of 46.34s while Ezekiel Eno went under 47s for the first time, running a PB of 46.42s to finish third.

Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo were dominant in the U-18 girls’ 200m. Ezechukwu won the race in a time of 24.06s (0.1), while Nwankwo came second in 24.53s and Mariam Jegede completed the top three in a time of 24.80s.

In the U-20 women’s 200m final, Success Oyibu stunned the 2024 National Sports Festival gold medallist, Cynthia Chioma Nweke, to finish in a time of 23.80s (-0.6).

Cynthia Chioma Nweke, came third clocking a time of 24.20s behind Lucy Nwankwo who ran a new Personal Best of 24.15s to cap an impressive trials outing in Sagamu.

Perfect Faye, is one of the many athletes the Technical Committee of the Federation should keep a close watch on. He produced an excellent finish in the U-18 Boys’ 200m final, running a new PB to win the race.

Faye ran a new PB of 21.68s. Ajibare Ibrahim finished second in the race, clocking 21.71s, while Destiny Egbon who won the 100m a day earlier came in third in 21.98s

John Caleb made it a sprint double at the National U-20 trials, winning the men’s 200m Junior title on Day 2 of the selection process.

Caleb won the 200m final, in a time of 21.37s (-1.1) to edge Joachim Uyovwiyoma who returned a time of 21.88s. Oluwatobi Malik finished outside the 21s bracket in third place with a time of 22.01s.

It’s imperative to state that in the throws and jumps, most of the boys and girls during the trials which were closely monitored by all the Technical Committee members on ground in Shagamu gave a positive impression and hope for the future.

Despite the inclement weather conditions all through the two day trials and final selection process, the coaches led by Solomon Aliyu and Technical Director Gabriel Okon alongside the President of the Federation Chief Tonobok Okowa were on hand to ensure the event went well