UNIPORT gets continental athletics training centre

The Athletics Fed­eration of Nigeria (AFN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confedera­tion of African Athlet­ics (CAA) to establish a training centre, the first of its kind in Africa.

It will be located at the University of Port Harcourt. This partnership entered on behalf of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), was one of the gains of the just conclud­ed 2014 African Athletics Championships in Mar­rakech, Morocco.

According to a statement released by the spokesman for the AFN, Olukayode Thomas, the President of CAA, Hamad Kaikaba revealed that CAA and the IAAF decid­ed to establish this training centre at the University of Port Harcourt to afford athletes the opportunity to combine their training with academic pursuits.

Kaikaba, who spoke during the signing of the MOU, described the epoch making event as a dream come true, stating that strong African countries like Nigeria and South Africa must come to the assistance of other smaller nations in the continent.

“This has been our dream for so long, but I thank God that the dream is now a reality,’’ Kaikaba said.

The Nigerian government was represented on the occasion by an embassy official, in Morocco, Lawal Bappah. Also present were the  AFN President, Solomon Ogba, Director of Sports Univer­sity of Port Harcourt, Dr. Ken Anuwegje, the AFN Technical Director, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama and the Special Assistant to the Director General of NSC, Mary Onyali, as well as Hawa Kulu-Akinyemi, who is a director at the NSC.

Speaking of behalf of the delegation, Akinyemi expressed thanks to the IAAF and the CAA for establishing the centre in Nigeria.

Akinyemi, who signed on behalf of Nigeria said she was hundred per cent sure that the centre will be a success because in its infancy, the centre had produced potential world beaters like Ese Brume, winner of the gold medal at Glasgow 2014 Com­monwealth Games and Marrakech 2014 Africa Athletics Championships and Divine Oduduru winner of the silver medal in the 200m at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Oregon last month.

Akinyemi also ap­pealed to the IAAF and CAA to send qualified personnel to the centre to assist the athletes and officials.

The centre, the first of its kind in Africa, is nearing completion at the University of Port Har­court main campus.