ABUJA – The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) have commended the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) over its athletes’ performances, an official has said.
Omatseye Nesiama, AFN’s Technical Director, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that IAAF President, Lamine Diack, and his CAA counterpart, Kalkaba Malboum gave the commendation on Monday in Morocco.
Team Nigeria is taking part in the on-going 19th African Athletics Championships (AAC) taking place in Marrakech, Morocco.
Team Nigeria is defending its title as African champions at the five-day championships which began on Sunday and is expected to end on Thursday.
According to Nesiama, the leadership of the IAAF and CAA said AFN’s renewed efforts at discovery and development of new talents was highly commendable.
“The duo of Diack and Malboum made the commendation after I made a presentation on the achievements and challenges of the Developmental Centre for Regional Athletics Performance in Port Harcourt (DCRAPPH) at the CAA Congress. [eap_ad_2] “Both the IAAF and CAA presidents said collaboration between the AFN and the National Sports Commission (NSC) was a ‘major requirement’ at this stage to sustain planned developmental efforts,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that the Centre for Regional Athletics Performance in Port Harcourt, inaugurated in February 2013, is tagged “Centre of Hope’’.
Selected Nigerian athletes had camped at the Centre in preparation for the African Youth Athletics Championships, which Nigeria eventually won its maiden edition in Warri, Delta.
These athletes, according to Nesiama, have formed the bulk of athletes who were part of the centre’s take-off.
“The number of admitted athletes are 21 girls and 20 boys and arrangements are on to admit the athletes into the University of Port Harcourt academic programmes as will be suitable to them,” he said.(NAN)[eap_ad_3]
