African Athletics

Confederation of Africa Athletics (CA) President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum says the Benin Athletics Federation have a month to secure their government’s written commitment to support the staging of the 2012 Africa Athletics Championships  or else….

The Benin Athletics Federation have one month to secure government guarantee to host the 2012 Africa Senior Athletics Championships.
During the CAA Executive  meeting in Dakar Senegal in 2007, Kenya piped Benin 10-9 to win the bid to host the 2010 Africa Championships which gets underway at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi today Wednesday ( 28 July).
Benin was granted the right to stage the 2012 event which comes prior to the London Olympics. Emerging for their executive meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday, CAA President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum says Benin Athletics federation should get government confirmation of their commitment to stage the event.  This places one of the CAA Vice President Theophile Montcho, a former Benin Sports Minister in the spot.
“We have discussed with countries that have facilities to be on standby instead of putting those that need to buy equipment on notice. Benin have asked us for a month to get  their government’s commitment confirmed,” Kalkaba disclosed.
“We are already in talks with countries that have the facilities already. We can only think of a place where they will not need to buy new equipment or make major adjustment,” Kalkaba explained. Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa are some of the possible alternative venues for the event.
Kalkaba disclosed Nairobi 2010 would be the most watched African Championships, with the competition to be aired in 165 countries. This is an improvement from the last championships in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in 2008 which was viewed in only 50 countries.
In a separate development, the Africa Youth Championships, Africa Cross Country Championships, and one-day meeting are now part of the CAA calendar of events. South Africa will stage the inaugural Africa Cross Country Championships.
CAA will lobby to have the current IAAF Challenge Meets in Dakar (Senegal) and Rabat (Morocco) upgraded and included in the IAAF Diamond League. None of the 14 Diamond League meeting this year takes place in Africa.
 

Filed under: 2010 Africa Senior Athletics Championships