Nigerian athletes at a recent event
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) National Under-16 and 18 Athletics Championships flags off Wednesday morning at the Sports Complex of the Yaba College of Technology, in Lagos.
After the shift from the initial flag off Tuesday due to the National Assembly elections that would have taken place on Monday, junior athletes from 16 states and 18 clubs nationwide will Wednesday morning now begin their medals’ chase.
Rita Akande, the Assistant Secretary of the AFN and who has been coordinating affairs the of the championship confirmed Tuesday night that screening of athletes would begin at 7am while competition proper would start by 10am.
“So far, we have entries from over 500 athletes for both the Under-16 and Under-18. As I speak to you now, more states are still trooping in to submit the lists of their athletes,” said the vice AFN scribe.
While assuring athletes and officials coming for the junior meet of subsidised stay in Lagos, the AFN scribe restated that there is no room for athletes competing for paramilitary bodies like the police, customs, immigration, civil defence and so on.
The junior championship is named after Dr. D. K. Olukoya, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.