The National Sports Commission (NSC) is said to be angry with officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) following its failure to secure a single relay ticket during its National Trials in Lagos for the 2025 World Championships holding in Tokyo, Japan. Nigeria is at risk of failing to qualify for any relay event, the first time since the inaugural edition of the World championships in 1983.

The NSC is also said to be unhappy with the AFN over its recent pronouncement that it is not getting enough financial support to execute its programmes.

The AFN is currently seeking funds to attend a Meet in Accra, Ghana, where Nigerian athletes could make another attempt to secure relay tickets. In a statement issued by the AFN shortly after the National Trials in Lagos, the federation confirmed its urgent appeal for financial support to enable Team Nigeria’s participation in the Ghana meet, which was originally scheduled for this weekend, but now rescheduled for August 19–20.

However, a source in the NSC told The Guardian on Thursday night that the body has given AFN enough financial assistance to execute its programmes, particularly in the qualifiers for the World Championships in Tokyo.

“It is sad that the leadership of AFN is crying out for funds now for its qualification for Tokyo. What came out of the money NSC gave for the National Trials in Lagos, where the AFN failed to secure a single relay ticket?” the official asked.

According to him, the NSC is not happy spending money and not getting the desired results in track and field. “Anybody who is saying that the Federal Government has not supported the AFN should be bold enough to announce to Nigerians how much the board has received from the NSC this year,” he stated.

The AFN’s plea for funding to hit Accra later this week for the Region 2 athletics event may be hiding to a rock, if the declaration by the NSC official is anything to go by.

An online platform, SportsNow.ng, had reported earlier that Nigerians are worried over AFN’s failure to take advantage of earlier chances, particularly, in the United States, where a wealth of Nigerian collegiate talent was available.

According to the report, athletes like reigning African Games 400m champion, Chidi Okezie, and others like Ezekiel Nathanial who are dominating the NCAA in the 400m and 400m hurdles, were in peak form during the post-season window, yet, no strategic effort was made by AFN to organise or enter qualifying meets, despite the abundance of relay events held across the United States.

“Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m team, boasting three sub-45 second runners and a 45.1 athlete, could have easily surpassed Zambia’s 2:59.16, which currently holds the final qualifying spot,” the report stated. “Similarly, the men’s 4x100m team had a deep pool to draw from, including Kanyinsola Ajayi (9.92 SB), Israel Okon (10.07SB at the time), Adekalu Fakorede (10.11 SB at the time), and Udodi Onwuzurike, the 2021 World U20 200m champion.

“On the women’s side, sprinters like Rosemary Chukwuma (11.03 SB), Tima Godbless (10.91 SB), Olayinka Olajide (11.15 SB), and Kelly Ufodiama (11.15 SB), who recently switched allegiance to Nigeria, were all available. Even Tobi Amusan could have bolstered the team, the absence of strategic planning and technical foresight has left the AFN scrambling.”

Nigeria and other nations, who are yet to secure their relay ticket for the 20th World Championships in Tokyo have up till August 24 qualification deadline to do so.

Meanwhile, there are concerns within the AFN family that the body might not be able to get the relay tickets in Accra, as majority of the athletes, who came for the National Trials at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, have since left for their base, abroad. The AFN announced a 26-athlete contingent for the trip to Accra, on Friday, but global stars like Tobi Amusan, Ezekiel Nathaniel, and Israel Okon were missing. (The Guardian)