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IAAF Clears American-Born Athletes for Nigeria

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The International Amateur Athletics Federation, IAAF, has granted the wish of middle distance runner, Edosie Ibadin and quarter miler,  Emerald Egwin to switch allegiance from their country of birth, USA to their parents’ country, Nigeria.

The duo had been registered by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria for the ongoing world championships in London, but the IAAF rejected their registration and asked for further proofs that they are bona fide Nigerians.

This was done with the athletes presenting their parents’ birth certificates. Their clearance to wear the green and white colours of Nigeria was thus granted and the Edo State born Edosie was thus permited to be in action in the men’s 800m on Saturday while Egwin will have to wait till the penultimate day of the championships to compete when the women’s 4x400m relay team take to the track at the Olympic Stadium.

The inclusion of the duo brings to 20 the number of athletes Nigeria has registered for the competition. Meanwhile quarter-miler Yinka Ajayi was expected to join the team Saturday morning after getting her visa from the British embassy in Nigeria while Abike Egbeniyi who will be competing in the women’s 4x400m relay will have to make another trip to the embassy on Monday for her visa.

Three journalists, Esan Oludare of Complete Sports, Charles Ogundiya of New Telegraph newspapers and Tunde Eludini are also waiting on the embassy to grant their entry visas to cover the championships which began on Friday in London.

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While the duo of Ogundiya and Eludini will be covering their first IAAF worlds, Esan will be going for his ninth after covering the sixth edition in Athens, Greece, the seventh in Sevilla, Spain, the eighth in Edmonton, Canada in 2001 as well as the ninth in Paris in 2003, the 11th in Osaka, Japan in 2007,the 12th in Berlin, Germany in 2009, the 14th in Moscow, Russia four years ago and the 15th edition two years ago in Beijing, China

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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