•LOC promises hitch-free event in July
The four-man inspection team from the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) for the 3rd Africa U18/U20 Athletics Championship scheduled to hold in Abeokuta, Ogun State in July this year, concluded its tour of facilities at the weekend.
The inspection team, led by CAA Director General, Lamine Faty of Senegal, has CAA Technical and Development Director, Aziz Daouda and the duo of Lombard Melinda Amana and Maraire Munyaradzi Nkosasa Wilbert.
The team had arrived the country on Wednesday, and on Friday, inspected facilities at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena, including the newly installed tartan track, currently being used for the 22nd National Sports Festival. On Saturday, the inspection team visited 12 hotels in search of 800 beds. The hotels inspected include Green Legacy Resorts, Academy Suites, AA Entertainment and Tourism, Metro Hotel, Keem Hotel, Richton Hotel, Continental Hotel, Abiis Hotel IBD International and H3 Hotel. The team, which operated from the Conference hotel, later addressed journalists, with CAA Director General, Lamine Faty, scoring all the facilities high.
He said: “I must express my sincere appreciation to our Nigerian hosts. They have proven beyond doubt that they will be an excellent host. We had a comfortable stay and we were provided with the best conditions to do our work. I can see that Abeokuta is ready to host the continent come July this year.”
Apart from one of the hotels, where buckets were found in the Rooms, a sign that there might be issue with water supply, all other hotels inspected by the team passed CAA test to accommodate athletes, officials, journalists and special guests coming from 54 countries for the championships holding from July 16 – 20, 2025.
AFN president, Tonobok Okowa and Secretary General of the Federation, Israel Inwang, took part in the inspection tour on Saturday.
Secretary of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Shagaya Abdulmumeen, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman, Hon. Bukola Olopade, said that Nigeria and Ogun State in particular would do everything possible to host a championship the entire African continent will be proud of.
“We are set to give the 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships the best attention it deserves,” he said. As you can see, Nigeria, and in particular the government and people of Ogun State is ready. The LOC is pleased to have this inspection team in Abeokuta and we are happy everything is going smoothly.”