Asaba stadium wears new look for African Athletics Championships

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Asaba 2018 African Athletics Championships has assured of staging a world-class event in August.Chairman of the LOC, Chief Solomon Ogba told The Guardian yesterday that the committee was working round the clock to ensure Nigerians and indeed people from different parts of Africa enjoyed the best of athletics during the period.

The 2018 African Senior Athletics Championships will hold from August 1 to 5, a few days after the FIFA World Cup in Russia.Already, some countries, including South Africa, which had a good show at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia are preparing a strong team to storm Asaba for the CAA African Senior Championships.

Ogba, who was part of the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast to monitor organisational proceedings, stated that majority of the things they need to stage a world-class event in Asaba have been put in place by the state government.

“As I said before I left for the Commonwealth Games, the LOC is considering some new innovations during the Championship because we want to stage a problem free event. We will ensure nothing is left out.”

“For instance we will have an electronic score board. The scoreboard makers have assured they will give us the best. We want to transmit live pictures and we are close to getting it installed. There will also be electronic pitch panels,” Ogba stated.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Chief Tony Okowa, who is a member of the LOC has disclosed that hotel and bed spaces for athletes and officials coming for the event have been secured.

Okowa was also at the Commonwealth Games to monitor organisational proceedings. He hinted shortly on arrival in Asaba yesterday that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was determined to complete works at Asaba stadium in readiness for the championship. “The stadium is actually wearing a new look now because the contractors are working day and night,” Okowa stated.