Congo leads early-bird to CAA U-18/20 championships

...South Africa arrives in Abeokuta eyeing historic hat-trick

...Teenage terror and reigning World U-20 100m champion Banda, spearheads South Africa's title defense with sub-10s seasons best

...Team Kenya ready to run for honours at the championships, due in Abeokuta on Tuesday

By Mishael Emmanuel 

   

   

  

The Republic of Congo's delegation to Africa biggest athletics feast at the Junior and Youth level were first amongst the set of early arrivals in Abeokuta, Ogun State, South-West, Nigeria. This is in a bid to ensure they acclimate and register the best possible showing at the Championships.

 

Team Congo that touched down four days ahead of the 5-day championships received a warm reception at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, South-West, Nigeria.

The 28-member delegation who arrived in the early hours of Saturday were received by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Protocol Team. Head of Protocol, Arabirin Aderonke, was on hand for a seamless and heartwarming welcome for the Congolese contingent.

 

9 male and 13 female athletes accompanied by 6 officials were received with smiles, Nigerian hospitality, and swift coordination as they were ushered through arrival procedures.

“We are excited to receive the first set of athletes arriving for the championship,” said Arabirin Aderonke. 

 

“This marks the beginning of what promises to be a historic and memorable competition. Our protocol teams are fully mobilized at the airports to ensure a smooth experience for all arriving delegations, as the National Sports Commission had demanded excellence from every subcommittee in the LOC.” 

On Sunday about 200 more athletes and officials from eight countries, arrived at the Lagos international Airport. Among that list are South Africa, Uganda, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Algeria, Ghana, Egypt and Botswana.

In a related development, defending champions South Africa declared their keen interest in securing a third consecutive title, cementing their dominance on the continent.

The South Africans topped the medal table at the first edition of the biennial championships in Cote d’Ivoire with 26 golds and a total of 56 medals, trailed by Kenya and Nigeria who completed the top three, in 2019. And repeated their feat four years later in Ndola, Zambia, with 66 medals, dominating both U18 and U20 categories.

This time they've prepared a 70-strong athlete contingent, to feature over 5 days at the new look MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, with one commission a clean tri-peat, a feat that would solidify their status as the continent’s youth athletics powerhouse. 

 

South Africans arrived early to overcome jetlag from the long trip from the southern tip of the continent and compete favourably the largest youth athletics gathering ever in African history –with some 43 other countries and the nearly 1,000 athletes on their books.

 

Media Consultant to Athletics South Africa, Sifiso Cele, confirmed the team’s intent: ‘The mandate given to each athlete is simple—bring the African title home.’

He however, mentioned that the challenge won’t be easy. As host Nigeria, alongside with East African powerhouse Kenya, Egypt, and Botswana.

 

Nigeria, in particular, will be looking to reclaim the top spot it held during the 1997 U-20 Championships in Ibadan and the 2013 U-18 Championships in Warri, both of which it hosted and won.

 

FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG can also confirm that Team Kenya to the event are due on Tuesday, after being in close camping since the Kenyan National trails and they are ready to run for top honours.