By Ado Salisu
Coach Oluyemi Sule has declared that Nigerian athletics is enjoying one of the most successful periods in its history, citing the depth, quality and potential of the country’s current generation of athletes.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Commonwealth Games Trials at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex in Lagos, Sule, who is also a member of the AFN board, said the performances recorded so far are only a glimpse of what lies ahead.
According to him, many athletes are deliberately managing their efforts in the early rounds, focusing on qualification while reserving their best performances for the finals.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is just the beginning. Our athletes are in very good shape, they are experienced and understand what it takes to navigate a competition of this nature,” he said.
“What is important at this stage is qualifying for the finals. Once they get there, they will give everything they have.”
Sule noted that the impressive times already recorded at the trials should not be mistaken for peak performance, insisting that many athletes still have plenty left in reserve.
“If you are seeing fast times now, it simply shows they still have a lot of fuel in the tank. They came here prepared to give their best, so you can expect even more fireworks in the finals,” he added.
Reflecting on the state of the sport, the former jumper expressed satisfaction with the progress being made, describing the current era as unprecedented for Nigerian athletics.
“Nigeria is living its best life in athletics right now. In my opinion, we have never been at this level before,” he said.
“When you consider that we have had two or three athletes leading the world rankings this season, it shows that we are moving in the right direction and making significant progress.”
Sule argued that even the country’s celebrated achievements of previous generations compare favourably with what is being witnessed today, pointing to the wealth of talent emerging across various events.
“Even the period we often refer to as our glory days was not quite like this. With the crop of athletes we have at the moment, the future is very bright and I believe Nigerian athletics will continue to be a success story,” he said.
Looking ahead to the second day of competition, Sule predicted more outstanding performances, provided weather conditions remain favourable.
“I expect even more firepower tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and allows us to witness something truly exciting,” he said.
