Sports

Five Nigerian Starlets to Watch at African Junior Athletics Championships

Published

1 year ago

June 27, 2025

Joel Ajayi

With just 20 days remain before Africa’s next generation of track and field stars converge for the 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships, from July 16-20 in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

For Team Nigeria, it’s more than a championship — it’s a launchpad.

A golden opportunity for rising stars to announce themselves on the continental stage and ignite careers that could shape the future of Nigerian athletics.

Among the contingent gearing up to wear the green-white-green with pride, a standout group of talents is already turning heads both locally and internationally. Meet the names to watch as they prepare to dazzle in Abeokuta:

Chioma Nwachukwu: Events: 400m, 4x400m Relay, PBs: 400m – 51.26s | Indoor – 52.07s | 4x400m Relay – 3:26.90, College: University of Iowa.

A gold medalist at the 2022 National Sports Festival and a champion at the Nigerian University Games (NUGA), Chioma has shattered school records at the University of Iowa in both the indoor and outdoor 4x400m relays.

Okon Israel: Events: 60m, 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay, PBs: 100m – 9.91s | 60m – 6.51s | 200m – 20.80s, College: Auburn University.

Okon is rewriting history. His blistering 6.51s in the 60m tied the school record at Auburn, placing him alongside legends like Davidson Ezinwa and Favour Ashe on Nigeria’s all-time list.

A silver medalist at the SEC Indoor Championships and bronze medalist at the NCAA Indoors, he also led Nigeria to gold in the 4x100m at the 2023 African Games.

Favour Onyah: Events: 400m, 200m, 4x400m Relay, PBs: 400m – 51.93s | 200m – 24.35s | 4x400m Relay – 3:40.46, College: Southeastern Louisiana University

Named the 2024 Southland Conference Women’s Track & Field Freshman of the Year, Favour is fast becoming a dominant force in the quarter-mile.
Gafari Badmus: Events: 400m, 200m, 800m, 4x400m Relay: PBs: 400m – 45.62s | 200m – 21.64s | 800m – 1:56.48 | Mixed Relay – 3:25.59, College: Not currently enrolled.

Gafari is one of the brightest prospects in Nigeria’s youth athletics system. Already a gold medalist in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2024 National Sports Festival, he has medaled across multiple distances and showcased versatility with a promising 800m personal best.

John Caleb: Events: 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay, PBs: 100m – 10.39s | 200m – 21.19s | 4x100m – 40.28s, College: Not currently enrolled.

A two-time champion at MTN CHAMPS Benin and Lagos, John Caleb is the definition of consistency. He impressed at the U18 Athletics

Trials and has proven to be one of the country’s fastest teenagers.

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Sports

Montage Community Football Tourney Registration Ends October 30

Published

6 hours ago

October 22, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

Registration for the 2026 edition of the Montage Community Football Tournament will close on Friday, October 30, organisers have announced.

The tournament coordinator, Mr Raphael Ekpang, disclosed this on Thursday, urging interested teams across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to take advantage of the remaining days to register.

Ekpang said registration had been ongoing since Monday, encouraging eligible teams to complete the process before the deadline.

The tournament, themed “Montage FM 99.7: Empowering Youth, Uniting Communities Through Football,” is scheduled to kick off on November 3, 2026, with playoffs across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

The grand finale will hold on December 5, 2026, at the Old Parade Ground, Garki Area 10, Abuja, where the top four teams will compete for first-, second- and third-place honours.

A total of 48 teams will participate in the competition, with eight teams representing each of the six Area Councils.

The participating teams will compete for cash prizes worth over ₦2 million and other valuable rewards.

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