In spite of early hitches, Athletics Championships kick off in Asaba

The 2018 African Senior Athletics Championships has kicked off on Wednesday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, but not without some early troubles.

Some confusion had surrounded the flagging off of the event as it was reported that construction was still ongoing at the venue, while floodlights meant for the newly-constructed stadium were in Lagos.

Journalists at the venue could not be accredited because the person in charge of the accreditation had not resumed.

Also, over 300 athletes from Kenya, Cameroon and other African nations had been stranded at the Lagos domestic airport since Monday, out of the over 1,500 athletes from 52 countries the organisers say will compete in the five-day event.

Frustrated, Team Kenya, via their national radio, threatened to return to Nairobi if they are unable to get a flight to Asaba. But the Local Organising Committee topped up their game as they transported all the stranded athletes in batches from Lagos to Asaba on Wednesday morning.

As a result all the sporting events scheduled for the morning of kick off were moved to the afternoon, for the championships to officially begin in the Delta state capital at noon.

The Asaba showpiece, the 21st edition of the CAA’s biennial competition, has been scheduled to end on Sunday, August 5th.

Meanwhile, CAA President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, AFN President Shehu Gusau, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Nigeria’s minister of Youth and sports Solomon Dalung were present at the induction of some athletes into the CAA Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.