Top African
athletics stars have always shied away from the senior African Championships,
but the 2018 edition billed for Asaba, Delta State in August is set to be a
difference.
Local Organising
Committee chairman and former Athletics Federation of Nigeria president,
Solomon Ogba disclosed in Lagos yesterday, that the Asaba 2018 Championships
will serve as the qualifiers for the Athletics World Cup and the 2019 World
Championships. He stated that there is a new IAAF procedure, which requires
athletes to pick qualification from regional championships.
“With this, we are
expecting that all African athletes currently making waves in the world will be
coming to Asaba.
“They need to qualify for the World Cup and
the World Championships,” said Ogba.
He
added the Stephen Keshi Stadium, venue of the African Championships, will be
ready for use in June, as only minor fittings remain to be done.
“As
we are talking work on the stadium is almost complete. All the required
equipment have been paid for and ready for delivery, between now and June the
last set of work will be completed.”
He
submitted that the stadium tracks is one of its kind in Africa with nine lanes,
sprints finishing lines in both ways, to guard against excessive winds as the
case might be.
Lagos
was originally billed to host the event, but they showed little interest in
pursuing preparations. Delta had to step in and, according to Ogba, Asaba will
be ready to host one of the most memorable African Championships.
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