Maria Mutola
The who-is-who in African sports and beyond will be arriving in Asaba, Delta State on Sunday for the 21st African Senior Athletics Championships.
According to a statement issued by Olukayode Thomas, the Head of Media and Publicity for CAA Asaba 2018, Maria Mutola will be leading the cast of world sporting figures that would be arriving in Asaba this weekend.
Mutola was a former African and world champion in the 800m and was fondly referred to as ‘Mutola Express’ during her active days on the track.
Also coming in to Asaba on Sunday is the IAAF President, Sebastian Coe who will be coming in with as much as 11 officials of the world Athletics governing body.
The other expected sporting legends in Asaba also include Nawal El Moutawakel a former hurdler and Olympic Gold medalist as well as Kenya’s David Rudisha and Hicham El Guerrouj among many others.
Also, those to be inducted into the CAA Hall of fame will arrive this weekend.
The impressive list has the likes of Tirunesh Dibaba, from Ethiopia and her compatriot, Mesert Defar.
Other Ethiopians on the list include Genzebe Dibaba, a world record holder
and champion; Almaz Ayana, an Olympics and World Champion; and Kenenisa
Bekele, a legend in long distance, road races and marathon and world record holder.
The South African duo of Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk, both Olympics and World Champions, will also be inducted alongside Nigeria’s Olusoji Fasuba and Blessing Okagbare among others.
In a related development, It has also been confirmed that top football administrators will also be in Asaba to savour the best of African athletics that will be showcased from August 1-5 at the newly completed Stephen Keshi Stadium.
Former Confederation of African Football President, Issa Hayatou and his wife will be in for the African Championships. Hayatou’s successor in CAF, Ahmad Ahmad will also be in town for CAA Asaba 2018.
Both Hayatou and Ahmad are guests of the Confederation of African Athletics, CAA.
Thomas said all the eminent sporting personalities coming in on Sunday will be around till the end of the African Championships.
Meanwhile, Over 200 more journalists applied for the accreditation to cover the 21st African Senior Athletics following the extension of the exercise by the Media and Publicity committee.
Thomas said it was heartwarming to see the interest shown by media practitioners across the continent and beyond to be in Asaba for the 2018 African Championships.
He, however, pointed out that due to some constraints, not all will be accredited to be in the Media Tribune.
“The interest shown by journalists for this championship has been quite phenomenal and we must express our gratitude to all the enthusiastic media
practitioners,” Thomas said in a press statement over the weekend.
“I will like all to know that we cannot accredit everybody that applied; that is how it is in any major championships across the world. For those that are not accredited, they can cover from outside the media tribune,” Thomas appealed.
The Head for Media and Publicity committee said for journalists whose names appeared on the first list published on the official website for CAA Asaba 2018, they can collect their accreditation tags from Monday while those to be added in the supplementary can do same from Tuesday.