Africa Youth Championships: 33 Countries Confirm Entries for Warri 2013
Thirty-three countries from the continent including host Nigeria, have confirmed entries for the maiden Africa Youth Championships in Athletics scheduled to hold in Warri, Delta State between March 27 and March 31.
Apart from Nigeria that has entered 80 athletes for most of the events to be competed for at the Warri 2013, Ethiopia comes a distant second with 42 athletes followed by South Africa to be represented by 30 athletes. Egypt and Mali are tied on 24 athletes for the continental showpiece introduced primarily to encourage African countries to have ready pool of athletes in waiting to step into the shoes of those retiring. Some of the other top African nations coming to Nigeria for the junior meet include, Senegal, Morroco, Kenya, Uganda, Algeria amongst others.
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Amaju Melvin Pinnick, said Thursday in Lagos that the state was ready to host a championships that will be remembered for Long.
“We are ready in Warri to host the first edition of the Africa Youth Athletics Championship. Our stadium, our hotels and hospitals are world-class and ready to host the visitors. This is one championship that will restate Delta as the preferred destination for sports after hosting the African Women Championships on more than one occasion in the past,” Amaju noted at the briefing which held at the Delta State Liaison Office on Karimu Kotun Street in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Despite the N300 million approved for the junior track and field championships by the Delta State government, the LOC chairman appealed to corporate Nigeria to support the hosting with whatever they can give.
“Delta State government has approved N300million for the LOC while the Delta State Oil Producing Commission (DESOPADEC) has also promised to build a warm-up track that is the first of its kind in West Africa at the Warri City Stadium for the use of athletes. We are however still calling on other corporate bodies to support our hosting,” observed Amaju at the briefing.
President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, confirmed that the team to represent Nigeria at the Warri 2013 is to emerge Friday at the end of the Pastor D.K. Olukoya Under-18 Athletics Championship taking place at the Sports Complex of Yaba College of Technology.
While assuring that the AFN will ensure that there are no age-cheats at this edition, he promised that Team Nigeria will do the country proud.
“Our team to the Championship will be picked on Friday (today) after which those selected will go and camp at the High Performance Centre at the University of Port Harcourt in preparation to do Nigeria proud. Ours will be hosting to win,” pledged the AFN chief.
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