Ahead of next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Nigeria Bobsled and Skeleton Federation have organized national trials for athletes that will represent the country at the Games.

The event held last Saturday at the parking space of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, saw both men and women athletes compete for honours in the bobsled and skeleton events respectively.

At the end of the trials, Kehinde Otukoya won gold in the men’s skeleton event while Michael Adigu and Kpelumi Adepoju won silver and bronze respectively.

In the women’s event, Khadijat Lawal clocked a time of 4.45 seconds to win gold while Grace Bassey won silver with a time of 4.79 seconds just as Kolawale Zainab took the bronze with a time of 4.85 seconds.

Speaking at the trials, President of the Federation Chief Solomon Ogba explained that the event became necessary in order to select the best athletes that will represent the country at the Winter Olympics as well as popularize the sports in the country.

He announced that the best ten athletes will be embarking on a training tour of Europe in early October to enable them to get adequate exposure ahead of the Games.

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“We put up these trials to among other things select the best athletes for the Winter Olympics, know who the various national champions are as well as popularize the sports in the country and I’m happy that we achieved our objective”, said the former President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

In their separate remarks, former Director-General of National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye and President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria Tonibot Okowa commended the Federation for achieving so much in so short a time of its existence just as they expressed hope that athletes who will represent the country at the Games will do Nigeria proud.

At the end of the trials, medals were awarded to winners in various categories.