Athletics in Nigeria

Track and field in Nigeria

Running, jumping and throwing

Track and Field is among the oldest forms of sporting competition not only in Nigeria but throughout the entire globe. It allows an individual athlete to use running, throwing and jumping skills to win competitions. It can be played as an individual sport or as a team sport especially relay races which consist of four athletes.

Track and Field is generally classified under the sport of athletics which comprises road running, cross country running, short distance, javelin throw, discus throw, stadion footrace, relay race, shot put, hammer throw and combined events.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria is a non-profit organization and the general body that manages and controls the sport of track & field athletics in Nigeria. They oversee the affairs of track & field athletics sport within the nation.

This association operates under the Confederation of African Athletics and also World Athletics (formerly the International Association of Athletics Federations) as a member. It was commissioned in the year 1944 as the Central Committee of the Amateur Athletics Association of Nigeria with the sole aim of promoting Track & Field athletics sports in Nigeria.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria prepares athletics teams and individuals in Nigeria for international championships and also organizes national tournaments and domestic event to foster and develop athletics in the country. They also transform amateur athletes into professionals with quality training and coaching for better performance.

Since the history of AFN, It has trained and developed skilful athletes who have won various awards for the country both in national and international competitions.

Benefits of track and field

• Track and Field sport helps to improve the health both the physical and emotional aspect of it.
• It helps one to maintain a good body shape as it helps burn body fat and one of the easiest ways to speed up body metabolism.
• Track race helps in body movement and aids in alignment of the body system.
• Running helps to reduce fatigue and stress in the body.
• It is the best sport for a faster weight loss.
• It helps to flush out excess heat in the body and keeps one refreshing all day.
• This type of sport enhances the mental performance and prevents mental ill health.
• Running is the best therapy for a good memory as it increases the formation of new brain cells in the body which improves memory.
• Running keeps you focused, whenever an athlete is running on a track they always focus their mind and attention to the finishing point as it decreases distraction.
• It helps to boost one’s self-confidence. As a track and field athlete, you always have something to be proud of especially seeing where you started and where you ended and that makes you believe more in your abilities.
• Track and field is a sport with lots of advantages to a football athlete in the area of running as he can use it to scale height in the football field while playing ball.
• It promotes a healthy heart rate, aids in breathing and a platform to think out of the box.
• It promotes cardiovascular fitness and helps to balance mood and behaviour.
• It is an effective way to gain balance in the body. Running and jumping helps to build up leg muscles for a good body balance which helps to prevent injury.
• It is a better way to cope with fear and anxiety. It helps to form new neurons in the body that aids in coping with anxiety.