AFN Commonwealth Games roster under scrutiny as Soetan reveals only 12 of 29 invited athletes attended Lagos trials

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)’s selection of athletes for the 2026 Commonwealth Games has come under intense scrutiny following claims that only 12 of the 29 athletes invited to the camp actually participated in the national trials held in Lagos.

AFN Executive Board member Lekan Soetan expressed concern about the selection process after the federation released its Commonwealth Games camp list, which includes several athletes who did not compete in the trials despite earlier indications that participation would be a key requirement for selection.

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Among those named are world record holder Tobi Amusan, long jump star Ese Brume, sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi, all of whom missed the Lagos trials but secured places in the team preparing for the Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

“The publication of this list of 29 athletes from the Commonwealth Games camp raises a fundamental question: what exactly was the purpose of the National Trials in Lagos?” -Soetan asked.

According to him, only about 12 of the invited athletes competed in the trials, while several others who traveled from within and outside Nigeria, competed successfully and in some cases emerged as national champions or medallists, were left out of the final camp list.

Soetan stressed that the issue is not the inclusion of elite athletes with proven international credentials.

“No reasonable person would object to the inclusion of proven world-class athletes like Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Kanyinsola Ajayi and other established international entertainers. Nigeria’s aim at the Commonwealth Games should be to present its greatest medal prospects,” he said.

However, he argued that if rankings, previous performances, international experience, medal potential, injury exemptions and visa challenges were always going to play a role in selection, the federation should have clearly communicated those criteria before conducting the trials.

The AFN had earlier maintained that athletes seeking selection for the Commonwealth Games must participate in the Lagos trials held at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex.

Many athletes, according to Soetan, returned from the United States and other countries at their own expense, despite difficult visa and travel conditions, believing that their performances at the trials would significantly influence selection.

“The publication of this list suggests otherwise,” he said.
Explaining the selections, the AFN said the team was chosen based on performances at national trials and the current records of athletes who were unable to attend due to visa issues.

“The athletes were selected based on the results of the recently concluded national trials at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos and the current records of other athletes who were unable to attend the Lagos trials due to visa issues,” the federation said in its statement.

Soetan maintained that the controversy is ultimately about transparency, fairness and managing expectations rather than the identities of the selected athletes.

“If the majority of the team had already been identified based on rankings, previous performances and international achievements, then the federation should have openly communicated that reality before the competition,” he said.

He suggested that the AFN could have published a list of automatic qualifiers and exempt athletes before the trials, while clearly outlining the number of places available through the competition.

For many stakeholders, the final list has raised questions about the relevance of the Lagos trials and whether the results actually influenced the selection process.

“National trials must be genuine selection competitions or honestly presented as evaluation events. They cannot be promoted as one thing and operated as the other,” Soetan concluded.