By Francis Ajuonuma
Determined to ensure that Nigeria performs creditably well at the coming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham United Kingdom, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has insisted that only athletes who are medal prospects will make the Nigerian team to the Games.

AFN’s head coach, Seigha Porbeni said this while reviewing Nigeria’s outing at the recently concluded African Senior Athletics Championship in Port Loius, Mauritius, where Team Nigeria finished third behind Kenya and South Africa.

Speaking exclusively with TNSports, Porbeni emphasised that the selection of the country’s athletes for the games will be purely on merit, noting that the Commonwealth Games is more competitive compared to the African Senior Athletics Championship, hence Nigeria must feature her best if she hopes to perform well against the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Jamaica amongst others.

“When we go to the Commonwealth Games is a different ball game. We’ve to step up our game right from the trials. We’ve Australia, we’ve New Zealand that were not in Mauritius. We’ve Jamaica that also were not at the African Championship; these are big players and also Britain.

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“The Australians are known worldwide for their throws; very good throwers, so, where we did fantastically well at the African Championship, like in the discuss women, in the hammer throw women, we’ve to up our game there to be among the best,” he said.
On AFN’s target for the Commonwealth Games, Porbeni, who is also Special Assistant (Technical), Delta State Sports Commission added: “We’re going to Birmingham to perform to the joy and satisfaction of Nigerians. I’ve told you that this trial is going to separate the real stuff from the chaff. If you’re not there, you’re not there. Is not about I use to be, is about current form and that’s what we’re going to work with and there is no wild card for anybody.

On Nigeria’s performance at the recently concluded African Senior Athletics Championship in Mauritius, Porbeni commended Nigerian team for their encouraging performance despite competing at the championship with a team B and had to contend with an unfriendly wealth condition in Mauritius.

“When I was interviewed before we left for Mauritius, I said we’ll come among the best three but I don’t know whether it’ll be gold, silver or bronze and that was exactly what happened.

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“With what we had, competing at the championship with our team B, because our team A is made up of foreign-based, I think we did well and acknowledged the athletes for making the country proud.

“That weather in Mauritius was a serious factor. Our boy that use to throw 70metres plus here could only throw 65 metres there. All the jumpers were also affected. It was the same thing in the female as non of them could go over 1.79 and we had athletes who could jump 1.90 at that meet. So, the weather affected all of them and I’m okay with it.