Former Nigeria athletics star Falilat Ogunkoya, has tasked athletes named by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria for the IAAF World Athletics Championship in London in August to redouble their efforts and better their current records.
“The Athletic Federation of Nigeria have picked the best 12 athletes available for the country,”Ogunkoya, who won bronze in women’s 400m at the 1996 Olympic Games, Ogunkoya began.
“No matter what anyone says these are the best we have going into the Championship. We have Blessing Okagbare and Tobilola Amusan , so there’s experience in the team.
“My only advice for the team will be that they strive hard to better their past records. They had to work hard and make the final list. They should just go to London and improve on that.
“For example the record set by Okagbare at the All Nigeria Athletics Championship two years ago was awesome, a time of 11.06 seconds which made the record timing of the sixth fastest on the 2014 IAAF World List of fastest time can be reenacted in London.”
The World Athletics Championship holds between 4-13 August.
Nigeria have won a total of eight medals in the champioships made up of four silver medals (Innocent Egbunike in the 400m in 1987;the 4x100m men in 1997,Glory Alozie in the 100m hurdles in 1999 and Blessing Okagbare in the long jump in 2013) and four bronze medals (Ajayi Agbebaku in the triple jump in 1983;the men’s 4x400m team in 1995,Francis Obikwelu in the 200m in 1999 and Blessing Okagbare in the 200m in 2013).
IAAF World Championships: Better your current records, Falilat charges Okagbare, others
