The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) yesterday announced the appointment of former Olympics and world champion, Maurice Greene, as the relay coordinator of Team Nigeria track and field athletes.

In a statement signed by the federation’s Secretary General, Olumide Bamiduro, Greene’s contract with AFN begins at the Mt. Sac Relay in California later this month, and it terminates after the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Africa Athletics Championships in Marrakesh, Morocco in August 2014.

In his acceptance letter to the AFN, Greene said he is excited at the prospect of working for Team Nigeria and that it is his own way of giving back to Africa.

Born 39 years ago in Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America, Greene is a retired American track and field sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres and 200 metres. He is a former 100m world record holder with a time of 9.79 seconds.

During the height of his career (1997–2004),  he won four Olympic medals and was a five-time world champion. These include three gold medals at the 1999 World Championships, a feat which had previously only been done by Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson and has since been equaled by three others.

Following his track career, he has become an ambassador for the IAAF and a TV personality, appearing on Identity, Blind Date, and Dancing with the Stars. Most recently he volunteered as a track coach at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) for the  2012-2013 session