The President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa as well as the Chairman of the Lagos State Athletics Association (LAA), Solomon Alao are both optimistic ahead of today’s Lagos Open Athletics Championship.
Among other things, the one-day athletics meet billed for the Teslim Balogun Stadium affords Team Nigeria another chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics Relay events having failed in its last bid at the National trials held at Yaba College of Technology’s Sporting Complex.
Okowa and Alao said the athletes are all in high spirits and with a conducive environment to aid the qualification to Tokyo has been put in place at the Lagos Open Athletics Championship
“We are trying to support our athletes and give them an enabling environment to qualify for the Olympics. If they fail to achieve that now, that means we might have to wait for another four years, Nigeria deserves to be in the relay events at the Olympics and that’s what we are trying to achieve,” the Lagos State Athletics Association boss stated.
On his part, the AFN President assured that the athletes are well motivated to deliver on the required qualifying times for the Olympics at the Lagos meet even as he enjoined for the support of all.