Z-PRO MEDIA

...Retains princely elite prize purse, registration opens By Maxwell Kumoye   After a one-year break, the Great Abeokuta 10KM Race is set to make a highly anticipated return, with organisers unveiling a special edition reserved exclusively for Nigerian athletes while retaining its prestigious elite prize purse. Nilayo Sports Management Limited (NSML), one of Africa's leading sports marketing and event management companies, announced that the race will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, marking the return of one of Nigeria's foremost road running events. In a major boost for homegrown athletics, the 2026 edition will be open only to Nigerian participants, a move aimed at providing local long-distance runners with a unique opportunity to compete for the full prize money traditionally contested by elite international athletes. Explaining the rationale behind the decision, NSML Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Yetunde Olopade, said the organisers ...

  As Team Nigeria intensifies preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, athletes have received an added boost following the launch of a special incentive scheme by Caligeo Suites Ibadan aimed at rewarding medal-winning performances. The initiative, unveiled by the Chief Executive Officer of Caligeo Suites, Gbolahan Fatuga, is designed to encourage Nigerian athletes to strive for podium finishes while promoting greater corporate involvement in sports development. Fatuga said the hospitality firm's reward package should serve as a model for other businesses seeking to support Nigerian athletes beyond government funding. "To foster corporate sponsorship and support for our athletes within the Nigerian business community, I propose this initiative, with Caligeo Suites serving as a benchmark for other organizations and individuals," Fatuga said. Under the scheme, Team Nigeria athletes who win medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will receive accommoda...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye      Athletes from Benin, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and host nation Nigeria are gearing up for the highly anticipated Dynamic Athletics Meet, scheduled to take place in mid-August at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos. Dynamic Athletics founder and meet organiser, Olabanji Ayegbusi, confirmed that the World Athletics-listed competition has already generated strong interest across West Africa, with athletes from the participating countries indicating their readiness through emails and other communication channels. With the 2026 athletics season gradually drawing to a close, many competitors see the meet as an ideal opportunity to round off their campaigns on a high note by producing outstanding performances, achieving personal bests and improving their world rankings. The Dynamic Athletics Meet has built a reputation for producing high-quality performances over the years, including world-leading marks, meeting records and numerous pe...

...Victory signals return to best form ahead of Commonwealth Games   By Maxwell Kumoye    World record holder Tobi Amusan continued her impressive return to form by producing a commanding display at the Paris Diamond League, where she first qualified for the final by winning the opening heat of the women's 100m hurdles in 12.39 seconds (+0.4m/s). Amusan looked comfortable throughout the race as she crossed the line ahead of Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser, who finished second in a season's best of 12.44s, while Jamaican champion Demisha Roswell placed third in 12.46s to also secure qualification for the final. Carrying that momentum into the final, the Nigerian sprint hurdling queen delivered an even more impressive performance, storming to victory in a season's best time of 12.28 seconds. Competing in ideal conditions with a legal tailwind of +0.7m/s, Amusan exploded out of the blocks from lane four with a reaction time of 0.135 seconds before producing a technically sound r...

Ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has invited 29 athletes to the National Sports Commission CWG national camp in Abuja for intense preparation for the games. The athletes made up of 14 male and 15 female were drawn from the result of the just concluded national trials at Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos and current records of other athletes who were not able to make it to the Lagos trials because of visa issues.  Secretary-General of the Federation, Mr. Israel Inwang, urged the invited athletes to report to the NSC National CWG camp in Abuja from Thursday, 25th June, 2026. The athletics team to the 2026 Commonwealth Games will compete in 18 events across track and field including the three relays scheduled for the games- 4 × 100metres men, 4 × 100metres women and Mixed 4 × 400metres.  The President of the AFN, Chief Tonobok Okowa, is wishing the athletes, coaches and other officials a hitch-free camping...

  By Maxwell Kumoye        The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has released the official timetable for the 2026 Commonwealth Games Trials, with athletes set to battle for national team places over a three-day competition from June 20 to 22. The trials, which will feature some of Nigeria's top track and field stars, will determine the country's representatives for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.  A packed schedule of sprint, middle-distance, long-distance and field events has been lined up across the three days. The opening day on June 20 will begin with the women's 5,000m final and men's discus final before the first-round heats of the men's and women's 100m.  The day will also feature the men's high jump final and the opening heats of the men's and women's 400m. In the afternoon session, attention will shift to the women's long jump, women's shot put and the 800m finals for both men and women.  The women's 100m heats, men's triple...

Nigeria's athletics ecosystem is experiencing a remarkable revival, with home-based athletes emerging as the driving force behind the country's resurgence on the continental and global stage. Over the past 12 months, locally based athletes have played a central role in restoring Nigeria's status as one of Africa's leading athletics nations.  Their outstanding performances at major regional and international competitions have highlighted the depth of talent being developed within the country and demonstrated the effectiveness of ongoing investment in grassroots and elite athlete development. One of the defining moments of this resurgence came during Nigeria's qualification campaign for the World Athletics Relays Championships in Gaborone, Botswana. Determined to return Nigeria to the forefront of global relay competition, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), with the unwavering support of the National Sports Commission (NSC), implemented an ambitious competitio...

By Maxwell Kumoye  The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has hailed the exceptional performances of Nigerian athletes at the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, describing their achievements as further evidence of the country's growing strength in global athletics. Leading the Nigerian charge were Kanyinsola Ajayi and Samuel Ogazi, who captured the men's 100m and 400m titles respectively in commanding fashion. Ajayi produced a breathtaking display to win the men's 100m in a wind-assisted 9.72 seconds after earlier lowering the Nigerian record to 9.84 seconds.  The Auburn University sprinter became only the third Nigerian to claim the NCAA 100m crown, joining the elite company of Olapade Adenekan and Divine Oduduru. Ogazi was equally impressive, delivering one of the standout performances of the championships by storming to victory in the men's 400m in a world-leading 43.38 seconds.  The Alabama star's performance erased ...

By Maxwell Kumoye  Nigerian sprint star Kanyinsola Ajayi produced one of the standout performances of the NCAA Championships, powering to victory in the men's 100 metres with a sensational wind-assisted 9.72 seconds at Hayward Field. Representing Auburn University, the 21-year-old dominated the race from start to finish to become only the second Nigerian, after Divine Oduduru in 2018, to claim the NCAA men's 100m crown. Ajayi crossed the line in a remarkable 9.72 seconds, a time faster than the African record of 9.77 seconds held by Ferdinand Omanyala. However, the race was aided by a tailwind of +2.2 metres per second, just above the legal limit of +2.0m/s, meaning the performance cannot be recognized as an official record. Even so, the Nigerian's run ranks among the fastest ever recorded under all conditions and further underlines his emergence as one of the world's most exciting sprint talents. Ajayi left the rest of the field trailing in his wake, opening a commandi...

...Retains NCAA 400m crown in historic fashion ...Words can't express how I feel right now – Ogazi  By Maxwell Kumoye    Nigeria's sprint sensation Samuel Ogazi delivered a performance for the ages on Friday night, shattering the collegiate record in the men's 400 metres to successfully defend his NCAA outdoor title at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field. Representing University of Alabama, Ogazi stormed to victory in a breathtaking 43.38 seconds, eclipsing the previous collegiate record of 43.61 seconds set by Michael Norman of USC in 2018. The stunning run further cemented Ogazi's status as one of the brightest stars in global sprinting and added another prestigious title to an already remarkable collection that includes last year's NCAA outdoor championship and the NCAA indoor crown he captured in March. An emotional Ogazi struggled to contain his excitement after seeing the historic time flash across the Hayward Field scoreboard. "I feel...

  The cake and balloons will be out again at Bushy Park in south-west London on Saturday as the phenomenon that is parkrun marks yet another milestone, this one surely the most incredible of all along its 22-year journey - the millionth event. That is not the one millionth individual run - there have been almost 140 million of those - but, including junior 2km versions, the one millionth free, timed, 5km run organised ‌and delivered by an army of volunteers. The origin story is as well-trodden as Bushy Park's lush turf at 9am every Saturday, but never loses anything in the retelling. In October 2004 Zimbabwe-born, South Africa-raised Paul Sinton-Hewitt organised a time trial in his local park for fellow club runners. Thirteen people took part, with another five helping out from the sidelines in what came to be called the Bushy Park Time Trial. Within a few years the concept had spread to other U.K. locations and took on the new name of parkrun. Then came the explosion into the asto...

  Switzerland's Audrey Werro said she was not expecting to beat Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in the 800 metres at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday, let alone to do it with ‌the third-fastest time in history. Werro crossed the line in one minute and 53.98 seconds at the meet, with Hodgkinson coming second in a personal best of 1:54.33. "This is crazy. I need time to process this," Werro told Olympics.com in an interview published on Monday. "This is becoming more ⁠real and to be honest it is a bit scary. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. "It was a big day for me because it was my first win in the Diamond League with Keely. It has been a goal of mine just to finish in front of her because I know she's really fast." Werro said it had not been part of her plans to run ahead of the Briton. "Instead, I was thinking of ‌staying ⁠in the third position and letting her go in front," she added. "But I went so fast at the beginning ...

By Maxwell Kumoye   Team Botswana received a rousing welcome upon their return home on Monday following a stellar outing at the SACA U-18/U-20 Championships in Mauritius, where they topped the medal standings with an impressive collection of 20 medals. The Botswana contingent amassed 10 gold, three silver and seven bronze medals to finish as the championship's most successful nation, underlining the country's growing strength in youth athletics. Awaiting the triumphant team at the airport were Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr. Legojane Kebaitse, BAA staff members, media representatives, and proud parents and guardians who gathered to celebrate the athletes' remarkable achievement. Several athletes delivered standout performances that helped propel Botswana to the summit of the medal table. Among them was Ludo Star Mbekwa, who claimed gold in the Women's U20 Long Jump, while Game Onneile sprinted to victory in the Women's U18 200...

  Olympic champion Armand Duplantis fell short of his bid for a world record at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday, suffering a surprise defeat as Australia’s Kurtis Marschall clinched victory with a clearance of 5.90 metres on his third attempt. The defeat ‌ended a run of 40 straight victories for the 26-year-old, who admitted he had one eye on his upcoming wedding. "It was time to lose, it was a very long time (since the last time). I can't fathom that I won 40 in a row, it's pretty sick, but it's also sick that I lose in Stockholm, which is the most important competition of the year for ⁠me," Duplantis told Swedish broadcaster SVT. "This is not the last time I will lose, but I hope it's the last time I lose in Stockholm, I'm going to make sure of that, that it doesn't happen again." Jumping in front of his home crowd, the hugely popular Duplantis was aiming to beat his previous best mark of 6.31 to break the record for the 16th time, b...

...AFN declares National Trials Mandatory for Athletes, Set benchmark for sprint  By Maxwell Kumoye  The race for places on Team Nigeria to the 2026 Commonwealth Games has officially begun, with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) announcing dates for the national trials that will determine the country's track and field representatives for Glasgow, Scotland. The highly anticipated trials will hold from June 20 to June 22, 2026, at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Sports Complex in Lagos, bringing together some of the nation's finest athletes in what promises to be a fiercely contested competition. For Nigerian athletes dreaming of competing at the Commonwealth Games, the trials represent the most crucial hurdle in the qualification process.  The AFN has made it clear that participation in the trials is mandatory for any athlete hoping to secure a place on Team Nigeria, making the Lagos event a make-or-break opportunity for established stars and emerging tal...

  By Maxwell Kumoye       Ethiopia's dominance of long-distance running was once again on full display as Mama Lama and Silenet Bitwe emerged victorious in the men's and women's categories respectively at the 2026 Okpekpe International 10km Road Race on Saturday. Mama Lama produced a commanding performance in the men's race, powering through the challenging Okpekpe course to claim the prestigious title and add his name to the list of elite athletes who have conquered Africa's first World Athletics-labelled road race. In the women's event, fellow Ethiopian Silenet Bitwe showcased her class and endurance, crossing the finish line ahead of the competition to secure the women's crown and complete a memorable day for Ethiopian athletics. The victories underscored Ethiopia's continued strength in distance running, with both athletes demonstrating exceptional pace, tactical awareness, and stamina throughout the race. The annual Okpekpe Road Race att...

...Smashes Nigerian record with stunning 43.82s By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye    Nigeria’s sprint sensation Samuel Ogazi delivered another statement performance on Friday, storming to a remarkable new Personal Best and World Lead of 43.82 seconds in the men’s 400m at the NCAA East Regionals. The blistering run saw Ogazi reclaim the world-leading mark from Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi, who had clocked 43.92 seconds just last week. In the process, the Nigerian quarter-miler also shattered his own national record yet again, continuing a exceptional season in which he has consistently raised the bar with every outing. Ogazi’s 43.82s now stands as the fastest men’s 400m time in the world this year, further underlining his emergence as one of the most exciting sprint talents on the global stage. The performance adds to what is becoming a historic season for Nigerian athletics.  Earlier, fellow Nigerian sprint star Kanyinsola Ajayi clocked a stunning 9.84 se...

By Maxwell Kumoye      Team Nigeria’s campaign at the World Relays in Gaborone has been defined by meticulous preparation, strong institutional backing, and a historic achievement that has set the nation apart on the continental stage. Arriving well ahead of the competition, the Nigerian contingent ensured optimal readiness, with athletes fully kitted and supported by a complete technical crew, including a robust medical team.  The early arrival allowed the squad to settle, train, and build cohesion, factors that ultimately translated into success on the track. Crucially, the team enjoyed solid backing from the National Sports Commission (NSC), led by Director General Bukola Olopade, whose presence provided both administrative support and morale.  The Nigeria Olympic Committee also played a vital role, with senior Vice President Solomon Ogba offering motivation to the athletes.  Seasoned administrator Salihu Abubakar further reinforced the team’...

...Letsile Tebogo and Collen Kebinatshipi not in the roster    By Maxwell Kumoye    Botswana has officially unveiled its final 25 man squad for the upcoming CAA Senior African Championships, with the nation’s top track and field stars set to compete in Accra, Ghana from May 12–17, 2026. The announcement, made by the Botswana Athletics Association, signals the start of an intensive build-up phase, as the full squad assembled for national camp on May 6.  The camp is expected to fine-tune preparations across sprint, middle-distance, jumps, and hurdles events as Botswana aims for a strong continental showing. Leading the men’s team are sprinters such as Phaezel Selepe and Kevin Lobalatang, both doubling in the 100m and 200m, alongside quarter-milers Lee B. Epple and Justice Oratile, who bring impressive sub-45-second credentials into the championships.  In the field events, high jumpers Tswanello Akobe and Taolo Lesole add depth, while Kemorena Tisa...