Nigeria: Exxonmobil Athletics – AFN Issues June 15 Deadline

Duro Ikhazuagbe

8 June 2011

Deadline for the submission of entries for the 22nd Nigeria/Cross River/ExxonMobil Track and Field Championships that will serve as trials for both the All Africa Games and the World Championships is to end on June 15.

Secretary of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Mrs. Maria Wophil gave this warning Tuesday in his memo to state athletics associations and clubs, insisting that there will be no extension of any kind for any athlete that miss the deadline.

The ex international hand-ball player urged those expected at the Meet scheduled for the U.J Esuene Stadium in Calabar between June 23rd and 25th to avail themselves of the opportunities of next week’s final of the AFN Golden League in Warri to submit their entries.

“Entries for the national Trials shall close on June 15th, 2011 during the Final Golden League event in Warri, Delta State. No entry shall be received at venue of the competition,” stressed the AFN scribe.

Meanwhile, the Congress of the AFN earlier scheduled for June 22nd in Calabar has been brought forward by 24 hours.

Wophil gave June 21st as the new date of the Congress.

She asked all states athletics chairmen and secretaries to be present in Calabar as important issue on how to reposition athletics in Nigeria will top the agenda.

Similarly, the Technical Meeting of all delegates for the 22nd Nigeria/Cross River State/NNPC/ExxonMobil Track and Field Championships has been scheduled to hold same day at 5pm prompt.

Just like week in Abuja, Athletic Federation of Nigeria signed a partnership agreement with the government of Cross River State worth N250m for five years.

Governor Liyel Imoke signed for Cross River State just as Chief Solomon Ogba endorsed the deal for the AFN.

The agreement is worth N50m every year and it will run for five years for the AFN competition, Mobil Track and Field for the period. The event is now known as Cross River Mobil Track and Field.

In his reaction to the deal, Chief Ogba expressed AFN’s excitement with this development because the partnership would be a big boost to the federation’s programme. He hinted that most of the athletes were at home in Calabar because of the city’s nature of hospitality.

“We are so excited with this development because the partnership is a big boost to the AFN and national athletes in general,” Ogba concluded.

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