Nigerian athletes selected for the African Championships left today for Nairobi, Kenya where the competition is scheduled to start on July 28.

According to Athletics Federation of Nigeria officials, the athletes are going to Kenya early to acclimatize for one week before the competition begins. Botswana athletes and officials are the first country to arrive Kenya ahead of the Championships.

At the last count 15 athletes and eight officials made the trip to the Championships, where the  AFN president, Solomon Ogba hopes that his athletes will post good performances to justify his insistence that the athletes must perform to set standards.

Nigeria won seven gold, seven silver and five bronze at the last championships 2008 in Ethiopia to place second on the medal table behind South Africa with 12 gold. And it remains to be seen if the team to the 2010 Championships can surpass that achievement.

Nigerian athletics enthusiasts can expect the worst, this is because the country’s athletes have not been too bright this season except of course Blessing Okagbare who did an 11.03 seconds, she has a hot rival from Gabon. She is Ruddy Zang Milama who has a season’s best of 11.19 seconds.

Top African stars like women’s double Olympic champion, Tirunesh Dibaba, world 800m gold medallist, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and two-time World Indoor 800m titleholder, Abubaker Kaki are among star runners line up for  Nairobi meet.

Ethiopia, regarded as Kenya’s bitter rival, stated their intent to be the hosts’ biggest challengers for top honours when they submitted 85 competitors and 25 officials, the second largest contingent after Kenya’s 144 entries and 20 handlers.

Tirunesh, the reigning African 5,000m champion leads their charge to Nairobi where she is lined up for a title defence at the distance.

The runner nicknamed “baby faced assassin” holds the world records over both distances she won in Beijing and is returning to competition after injury which saw her sit out last year’s World Championships in Berlin.

Here is the List of Athletes and Officials billed to leave Lagos today, Friday 16th July for the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada. They are to fly KLM with departure slated for 10pm at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

Nigerian athletes for World Junior Championships Canada
1. Margaret Etim
2. Tobi Ogunmola
3. Stellas Silas
4. Nkiru Uwakwe
5. Okeudo J. Nmaju
6. Japhet Samuel
7. Elvis A. Ukale
8. Ayobami Oyebiyi
9. Chizoba Okodogbe (USA)
10. Bukola Abogunloko
11. Abibat Yusuf
12. Ibukun B. Mayungbe (USA)
13. Charity A. Ibe
14. Bunmi B. Jethro
15. Salihu Isah
16. Seye Ogunlewe (Dublin)