Mary Onyali, an Olympian, on Thursday praised Nigerian athletes for their amazing show of strength and courage at the just-concluded All Nigeria Athletics Championships held in Calabar, Cross River.
Onyali, who was a member of the country’s 4x100m relay quartet, which won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, added that the championships afforded the athletes the opportunity to excel.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that their performances would spur them to perform better in subsequent meets.
“It’s a yearly thing, it’s really not different, but I must commend the Nigerian athletes for such a thorough competition.
“The championships is a great boost for our athletes, to get them prepared for the IAAF World Championships holding in August in Russia,” she said.
She added that the athletes that will fly the country’s flag in Moscow had the potentials to succeed, even though some still fell short of the IAAF qualifying standards.
“We have a very strong squad going to compete in Russia, and I’m proud of them, the athletes are still undergoing a series of standard checks by the IAAF.
“But I can assure you that they will do the country proud in Russia,’’the former sprinter added.
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