AFN Commonwealth Games Trials begins in Lagos

. As athletes battle for Team Nigeria places

By Joe Apu

Nigeria’s preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games gathers momentum today as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) stages its national trials at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Sports Complex in Lagos.

The three-day competition, which will run from June 21 to 23, will serve as the final selection event for athletes hoping to secure places on Team Nigeria for the Commonwealth Games.

The trials were originally scheduled to begin on June 20 but were shifted by one day following travel disruptions affecting several Nigerian athletes based in the United States. The revised schedule was approved by the AFN Board during an emergency meeting chaired by the federation’s president, Chief Tonobok Okowa.

According to the federation, severe weather conditions in parts of the United States, including heavy rainfall, storms and flash flooding, resulted in widespread flight cancellations and delayed the return of a number of athletes to Nigeria.

The affected competitors appealed for additional time to enable them participate in the trials, prompting the federation to postpone the start of the event.

AFN said the decision was taken to ensure fairness and provide all eligible athletes with an equal opportunity to compete for places on the national team. The federation also appealed for understanding from athletes and officials already in Lagos while expressing confidence that the affected athletes would arrive safely ahead of the competition.

With Commonwealth Games spots on the line, intense competition is expected across the track and field programme.

Action gets underway on Sunday with finals in the women’s 5,000m and men’s discus, while sprint events begin with the heats of the men’s and women’s 100m. Athletes will also compete in the men’s high jump and the preliminary rounds of the men’s and women’s 400m.

The opening day will further feature finals in the women’s long jump, women’s shot put, men’s and women’s 800m, men’s triple jump and men’s 5,000m.

Monday’s programme will focus on endurance and field events, including the men’s and women’s 10,000m race walk events, women’s javelin, women’s triple jump and the men’s and women’s hammer throw finals.

The day’s schedule will also include heats of the men’s and women’s 400m hurdles and the semi-finals of the 100m and 400m races. Attention, however, is expected to centre on the men’s and women’s 100m finals, where some of the country’s fastest athletes will compete for national honours and Commonwealth Games qualification.

The trials will conclude on Tuesday with a packed programme featuring the finals of the men’s and women’s 400m hurdles, men’s javelin, women’s high jump, women’s discus, men’s and women’s 1,500m, and the men’s and women’s 400m.

The championships will end with the finals of the men’s 110m hurdles, women’s 100m hurdles and the men’s and women’s 200m, bringing the curtain down on three days of competition that will determine the core of Nigeria’s athletics team for the Commonwealth Games.

With established international stars expected to compete alongside emerging talents, the trials are set to provide a high-quality showcase of Nigerian athletics as athletes chase the opportunity to represent the country on one of sport’s biggest stages.