Former Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Technical Director Omatseye Nesiama has praised Team Nigeria’s showing in athletics at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, while urging the country to begin more detailed preparations much earlier for future major championships.
Nesiama, Nigeria’s highest-ranking World Athletics technical official, said the athletes had surpassed some of the expectations set before the Games and that a number of performances had come as unexpected bonuses.
“The results have been fair so far,” Nesiama said. “The predictions may not have been completely accurate, but there have certainly been some surprises.”
The retired Commodore, who served as an official at this year’s World Relays Championships in Gaborone and the CAA Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana, identified the progress of Nigeria’s male athletes as one of the most encouraging developments in Glasgow. Their displays, he said, had renewed belief in the future of the men’s programme.
“A major positive is that we are beginning to see the men give us strong performances and reason to have high expectations of them as well,” he said.
Nesiama also highlighted the togetherness of the Nigerian delegation, describing the unity and team spirit among the athletes and officials as an important contributor to the promising results. “Credit must go to every member of the team for the camaraderie that has shaped the contingent,” he added.
