Asaba 2018: We’ll Set Standard For African Senior Athletics Tourney

The Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the Asaba 2018 CAA African Senior Athletics Championships, Solomon Ogba, on Tuesday, said beyond hosting a successful championship, the organizer intends to set new standards that the next host will have to maintain.

“Our African Championships is just like the European Athletics Championships or the Asian and America equivalent. I have attended many editions of our championships, without being disrespectful to previous hosts, our standard is not at par with that of other continental or area championships. Our aim is to raise the standard so that all our star athletes will, from this edition, attend our premium championships’’.

Ogba said a lot of innovations and fresh ideas are being introduced to make Asaba 2018 as good as the IAAF World Championships.

“In terms of technology, we are using the latest technology in athletics for all our events. There won’t be shortage of equipment, in fact, the CAA officials that came said the equipment we have can host the world championships. We have secured over 20 hotels for athletes and officials and the training of their staff will start soon’’.

The Chairman also revealed that the LOC is working with the Federal Government to ensure that everybody accredited for the championships gets their visas at point of entry and receive a very warm reception at the airport.

There will also be a world-class opening and closing ceremony which will showcase the best of Asaba, Delta, Nigeria, and Africa to the world.

For the first time, medalists in the African Championships will get some reward for their effort.

Ogba said, “We did it with African Athletics Youth Championships. The standard we set in 2013 is now the template for future editions. We are determined to do it again so that our best athletes will embrace the African Championships because we shall make it a glamorous and prestigious championship from Asaba 2018”.