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AFN Scouts Nationwide to Catch Talent Early – Okowa

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President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, has revealed that the federation has put a structured scouting system in place to identify and develop young athletic talents across the country.

READ ALSO: Ojeli Targets Commonwealth Games, Medals in 2026 Season

Speaking on the federation’s approach, Okowa explained that AFN works closely with coaches and clubs nationwide to ensure promising athletes are discovered early and properly monitored before being drafted into national teams.

“We work with coaches and clubs to scout younger talents,” Okowa said. “There is a dedicated committee responsible for identifying athletes and tracking their progress.”

He noted that once talents are identified, the federation maintains constant communication with grassroots coaches to monitor development, fitness and performance levels.

“We don’t just pick talents and forget them,” he added. “We keep in touch with their coaches, follow their progress and make sure we are up to date before bringing them into the national setup.”

Okowa stressed that early discovery and continuous monitoring are key to building strong national teams in the future, adding that the federation is committed to creating a steady pipeline of athletes capable of competing at the highest level.

“Our goal is to catch them young and prepare them properly for the future,” he said.

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Athletics

Glasgow 2026: Chukwuma, Ogundiran, Ezechukwu Face Stern Test in Women’s 100m Semi-finals 

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Nigeria’s trio of Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Miracle Ezechukwu will battle for places in the women’s 100m final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after learning their semi-final opponents in Glasgow on Tuesday.

With only the automatic qualifiers and fastest losers expected to progress to the medal race, all three Nigerians will need near season-best performances to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive.

Chukwuma Leads Nigeria’s Strongest Medal Hope

Rosemary Chukwuma has been drawn in Semi-final 1 and appears to have Nigeria’s best chance of reaching the final.

The Nigerian, who owns a personal best of 10.88 seconds and a season’s best of 10.95 seconds, is the second-fastest athlete in her race based on personal bests.

She will line up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye (10.82 PB), Australia’s Torrie Lewis (11.04), Canada’s Audrey Leduc (10.94), Jamaica’s Jodean Williams (10.97), Gambia’s Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye (10.93), England’s Mabel Akande (11.18) and Antigua and Barbuda’s G. Dowdye (11.34).

If Chukwuma produces a clean start and runs close to her personal best, she is well placed to secure one of the automatic qualifying spots or advance as a fastest loser.

Ogundiran Faces Tough Battle in Semi-final 2

Newly crowned Nigerian champion Blessing Ogundiran has been handed a difficult assignment in Semi-final 2.

The 10.98-second sprinter will race against Canada’s Sade McCreath (10.86 PB), Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand (10.92), England’s Imani Lansiquot (10.99), British Virgin Islands’ Beyoncé Defreitas (11.14), Australia’s Ella Lane (11.29), Barbados’ Kishawna Niles (11.33) and Gabon’s P.L. Moulin (11.35).

Ogundiran’s personal best puts her among the leading contenders in the field, but she will need another sub-11-second performance to guarantee a place in the final.

Ezechukwu Out to Continue Dream Debut

After an impressive victory in her opening-round heat, Miracle Ezechukwu faces an even sterner challenge in Semi-final 3.

The youngster, who clocked 11.32 seconds to win her heat despite running from lane eight, owns a personal and season’s best of 11.15 seconds.

She will face Jamaica’s J. Smith (10.89 PB), New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs (10.94), England’s Amy Hunt (10.97), Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira (11.20), Canada’s G. Cole (11.17), Australia’s G. Harris (11.38) and Zambia’s Edna Ng’andula (11.48).

While the race features several established international sprinters, Ezechukwu has already shown she can rise to the occasion. Another personal-best performance could put her in contention for a place in the final.

Nigeria’s Chances

Among the Nigerian trio, Rosemary Chukwuma appears to have the strongest opportunity to reach the final based on experience and personal best.

Blessing Ogundiran also has a realistic chance if she reproduces the form that saw her claim the Nigerian title, while Miracle Ezechukwu enters as the outsider but carries momentum after her confidence-boosting heat victory.

Should all three Nigerians produce their best performances, Nigeria could realistically have two, and possibly even all three, athletes lining up in the women’s 100m final later on Tuesday.

The post Glasgow 2026: Chukwuma, Ogundiran, Ezechukwu Face Stern Test in Women’s 100m Semi-finals  appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

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Commonwealth Games 2026: Kanyinsola Ajayi Faces Omanyala, Saminu in Blockbuster Men’s 100m Semi-final

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Nigeria’s sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi will face one of the toughest tests of his Commonwealth Games campaign after being drawn in a star-studded Men’s 100m Semi-final 2 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The Nigerian record holder is set to line up against an elite field that includes Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya,

Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Wales’ Jeremiah Azu, South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana, England’s Elliot Jones, Trinidad and Tobago’s Omari Lewis, and Australia’s Rohan Browning.

Ajayi, who owns a personal best of 9.84 seconds, will be aiming to secure one of the automatic qualification spots or advance as one of the fastest losers into the final in what promises to be the most competitive of the three semi-finals.

Nigeria will have three representatives in the men’s 100m semi-finals, with Favour Ashe, Kanyinsola Ajayi, and Alaba Nathan Fakorede all chasing places in the final.

With Ajayi drawn alongside some of the continent’s biggest sprint stars, all eyes will be on Semi-final 2 as the race for Commonwealth Games medals intensifies.

Men’s 100m Semi-final Draw

Semi-final 1

Mark Otieno Babu (Kenya)

Rohan Watson (Jamaica)

Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon)

Benjamin Azamati (Ghana)

Lachlan Kennedy (Australia)

Favour Ashe (Nigeria)

Clarence Johnson (South Africa)

Duan Asemota (Canada)

 

Semi-final 2 (7:10 pm Nigerian time)

Elliot Jones (England)

Jeremiah Azu (Wales)

Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (Ghana)

Kanyinsola Ajayi (Nigeria)

Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya)

Bradley Nkoana (South Africa)

Omari Lewis (Trinidad and Tobago)

Rohan Browning (Australia)

 

Semi-final 3

Kadeem Griffith (Barbados)

Mpho Koneshe (Lesotho)

Gift Leotlela (South Africa)

Alaba Nathan Fakorede (Nigeria)

Jerome Blake (Canada)

Ackeem Blake (Jamaica)

Edward Nketia (Australia)

Cejhae Greene (Antigua and Barbuda)

The post Commonwealth Games 2026: Kanyinsola Ajayi Faces Omanyala, Saminu in Blockbuster Men’s 100m Semi-final appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

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Athletics

Commonwealth Games 2026: Uganda’s Nakaayi qualifies to semi-finals | 800M Women

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Uganda’s 800M sensational woman runner Halimah Nakaayi qualified to the semi-final of the women 800M race at the on-going 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Nakaayi was third in the third heat with a time of 2:04.33 at the Scotstoun stadium on Monday afternoon.

England’s Georgia Hunter Bell won the race with 2:02.61 ahead of Jemma Reekie who came second with 2:03.09.

Nicole McKenzie finished fourth (2:05.07) as Abigail Abugire was fifth (2:06.31).

Adi Ceva Sova Lutumailagi and Tanesia Sylvina Gardiner finished 6th and 7th with times of 2:22.58 and 2:24.28 respectively.

Other qualified women:

Heat one had Great Britain’s Sarah Billings (2:01.51), Botswana’s Oratile Nowe (2:02.11) and Kenyan Janet Jepkemoi (2:02.30) as the best three runners.

Heat two had Kenya’s Lilian Odira (2:01.05), Isabelle Boffey (2:01.53) and Jamaican Kelly-Ann Beckford (2:01.63) as the best three.

In the same heat, Rwanda’s Claire Umitonze had her seasonal best timing of 2:06.95.

From heat four; Gabon’s Shafiqua Maloney was outstanding with 2:02.83 ahead of Rachel Klopfenstein (2:03.04) and Scotland’s Erin Wallace (2:03.15).

Uganda is also represented in other sports disciplines as Boxing, Swimming, Weightlifting, Judo and Netball at these games.

Halimah Nakaayi in action at the 2026 Commonwealth Games | Credit: Nicholas Bamulazeeki

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