HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF ATHLETICS IN NIGERIA

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Athletics is made up of track and field events. Most track and field events are as old as man's existence on earth. Every race ranging from the developed countries to the undeveioped has devised and participated in various competitive forms of running, jumping, and throwing. The Greeks, through their Olympic games, were the first people to organise track and field events. It was a high honour to be an Olympic champion, for the Greeks regarded track and field events as a demonstration of strength and as an excellent preparation for the life of a solider. They also considered a beautiful body and great accomplishment and something to be admired. Their sculptors carved the bodies of athletes in marble for all to admire and emulate.

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Olympic games began in 776 BC; and continued to be held every four years until AD. 394. The modern Olympic games were revived in 1896 at Athens, and American men have since dominated the track and field events, except for the distance runs. The revival of the Olympic games in 1896 again popularized track throughout the world. It is interesting to note that the five rings in the modern Olympic emblem indicate five continents joined together by a common bond of Amateur Athletic competition.

The Olympic flag was first used in Antwerp (Belgium) Olympic in 1920. It is a white pieces of cloth with five inter linked rings Black, Yellow, Red, Green and Blue representing the tive Continents ~ Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and USA. Beneath these rings is the Olympic motto
“CITIUS ALTIUS FORTIUS”
meaning faster, higher, longer and father i.e. run fast, jump higher and throw farther.

The first organised form of Athletics that resembled modern day Athletics started in Greece. At the said period the people took part in the following events chariot racing, boxing, foot races, discus and javelin throw and wrestling. Greeks honour their gods with the above mentioned events especially during their funeral ceremonies and religious festivals.

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The international body which regulates the rules and regulations of Athletics is the International Amateur Athletic Federation (LAAF) with its Headquarters in London, Britain.
The British government introduced Athletics into Nigeria and made it functional at the provinces’ level as “Empire Days”. This metarmorphosised into the formation of Amateur Athletic Association of Nigeria (AAAN) in 1944. Its development ranges from Nigerians competing in international events to taking part in Olympic games. All the states in the federation give adequate attention to the deveIopment of Athietics in their state’s sports councils; Ever since the following Nigerians have raised their heads up in the international athletic competitions -Chidi Imoh, Chioma Ajunwa. Mary Onyeali, Olapade Adeniken (one of the fastest sprinters in the world) prestigeously represented Nigerians at the Barcelona, Spain, Olympic Games in 1992.