The last leg of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Golden League, will hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, today, with the main focus on 400m star, Samuel Ogazi.

Ogazi was the star athlete at the first leg of the AFN Golden League held at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, in May, where he ran a Championship record of 46.01 seconds to win the 400m race. He proved too hot to handle at the second leg of the AFN Golden League held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, two weeks ago, dusting all contenders to win the event.

Ogazi currently leads the men’s 400m line up with 20 points, four ahead of second placed Chidera Johnson.

The 17-year-old, who won a gold medal for Team Nigeria at the recently concluded African U-18 and U-20 Athletics Championships in Ndola, Zambia, has remained unbeaten in the local athletics circuit this season.

However, Ogazi will have to contend with the senior duo of Sikiru Adeyemi, who holds a Personal Best of 45.93 seconds, and Samson Nathaniel, who is Nigeria’s two-time 400m champion.

Today’s final leg of the AFN Golden League in Uyo will see about five reigning African U-18 and U-20 champions in action.

National Sports Festival double sprint silver medalist, Faith Okwose, who also successfully completed a sprint double in Ndola, Zambia, is another athlete to watch out for in the women’s 100m in Uyo.

Okwose, 17, who set two championships records on her way to winning the 100m and 200m titles at the African U-18 Championships in Ndola, will go-head-to-head with Praise Ofoku, who ran in the final of the World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021.

In the men’s 100m, it may be a battle between 18-year-olds, as the reigning African U-20 champion, Kanyinsola Ajayi, faces Sunday Akitan, who holds a 5-1 head-to-head record against the African champion.

Reigning National Sports Festival 100m champion, Fakorede Adekalu, will be seeking to prove he still has the big heart that fetched him the gold medal at Asaba 2022 National Sports Festival.

Veteran Patience Okon-George, who is one of the most decorated Nigerian athletes among those competing in Uyo, will be aiming to assert her superiority as the best in the women’s 400m event.

Like Samuel Ogazi, the 31-year-old Patience Okon-George has been unbeaten so far this year.

AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, told The Guardian, yesterday, that he expects a stiff competition among the athletes in Uyo, adding that the federation was looking forward to the National Trials to select Team Nigeria’s stars for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August.

The National Trials will hold at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City between July 6 and 9. (The Guardian)

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