The Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) has announced Senegal as the host of the 2025 CAA Zone II U-18 and U-20 athletics championship scheduled for March.
President of the CAA Zone II, Tonobok Okowa, who doubled as the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), said that Senegal got the approval of Nigeria, Guinea and Burkina Faso because CAA Zone II, wants to expand its reach, unite the region through sport and give every West African country a sense of belonging.
“We’ve hosted CAA Zone II competitions in Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana which are in the West side of the sub-region. It’s time to give the east side their fair opportunity to create history and add value to a sport we all love and cherish with passion,” Okowa said.
He further stated that the excellent sporting facilities in Senegal, coupled with their very rich sporting heritage is another reason why CAA Zone II U-18 and U-20 Championships will be staged there.
“Senegal athletics is a whole lot of energy, with a lot of very resourceful, hospitable and dynamic people, who understand and appreciate the issues around hospitality. It is a country with population that has a lot of diversity.
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“We understand there will be a few concerns. As a government, we will give our assurances on all things required to make the event successful. We will ensure adequate security for all participants.
“We will also be supporting Senegal and Senegal athletics to ensure seamless transportation, accommodation and crowd management. We will do whatever we can to create an enduring experience for the visitors coming to the CAA Zone II events,” he said.
Okowa stressed that harnessing the sporting potentials of the youths is a key component of his administration’s development agenda, stressing that his administration plans to use athletics and the combined U-18 and U-20 championships as an engaging tool to create opportunities for young people.
Over 500 athletes and officials from 16 countries are expected to compete at the championships.
