Twenty Nigerian track and field athletes are among over 1,700 athletes from 134 teams/countries now in Lima for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships 2024.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the young athletes are competing at the Estadio Atletico de la Videna between Tuesday and Saturday.
Several of the participating athletes will be making their international debuts in Lima, while for some others, the path to Peru has gone through the Paris Olympic Games.
The list of Olympians who will compete for age-group honours following the Paris 2024 Games is indeed long.
It has Bradley Nkoana and Bayanda Walaza, who helped South Africa to the men’s 4×100 metres silver medal in Paris.
It also has Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew, who finished fifth in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
There are also on the list the likes of Jamaica’s Alana Reid, who competed in the 4x100m, and Torrie Lewis of Australia, who ran the 200m and 4x100m at the Paris Olympics.
But the Olympians are not the only ones headlining the event in the South American country’s capital city.
Estonia’s Karmen Bruus (high jump), Uzbekistan’s Sharifa Davronova (triple jump), Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa (5000m), and Jamaica’s Kerrica Hill (100m hurdles) are an experienced lot.
They all won gold medals at the last edition of the competition in Cali in 2022 and are entered to defend their titles this time around.
The championship is really massive, and countries which have entered the biggest teams include the U.S with 100 entries, Germany with 92 entries, and Australia with 68 entries.
This is then what Team Nigeria, which has nine males and 11 females, has to contend with.
The male athletes include Caleb John, Okon Sunday, and Chidera Ezeakor, who will be competing in the 100m, Gafari Badmus (400m), and Caleb Joshua alongside John and Sunday in the 200m.
Goodluck Fiaku is in the high jump, while Oseiwe Salami is in the 400m hurdles.
Tejiri Godwin and Joachim Uyovwiyoma will join others for the 4x100m relay event.
Justina Eyakpobeyan, Chioma Nweke, and Precious Nzeakor will run in the women’s 100m, with Obi Chukwuka and Prestina Ochonogor joining them for the 4x100m relays.
The 200m race will see Nzeakor join Ella Onojuvwevwo to compete for honours, while Taiwo Kudoro will run in the 400m hurdles.
Chioma Nwachukwu will be joined by Favour Onyah and Onojuvwevwo for the 400m, with Nwachukwu, Onyah, Kudoro, Onojuvwevwo, and Odot Udo running the 4x400m relays.
Rhoda Adisa will represent Nigeria in the 800m, while Ochonogor will also be in the long jump event.
NAN reports that the Nigerian representatives would nonetheless be striving hard not only to improve on the country’s past performances at the championships but also to enhance their careers.
It is a championship that offers a platform for success in the sport by helping to build careers and will no doubt help outline their path to future global events. (NAN)