Africa Athletics Championship in doubt after hosts pull out
Team Kenya athletes pose for a photo during the World Relays in Silesia, Poland on May 1, 2021.
What you need to know:
- The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19 said that the country isn’t ready to host the event after careful deliberation
- This is the second country to express their inability to stage the event owing to Covid-19 challenges after Algeria that was to host the event on June 1-5
- Kenya topped the medal standings with 19 medals; 11 gold, six silver and two bronze during the 2018 African Senior Championships held at Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Nigeria
Nigeria has backed out of hosting the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championships planned from June 24 to 28 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19 said that the country isn’t ready to host the event after careful deliberation and consideration of the proposed event by the PSC during its meeting on May 31, 2021.
This is the second country to express their inability to stage the event owing to Covid-19 challenges after Algeria that was to host the event on June 1-5.
Algeria would later defer the event to June 24 to 28 before postponing it indefinitely as Lagos stepped in to stage the event.
In a statement signed on behalf of the PSC chairman, Assad Hassan, who is the deputy head at the technical secretariat disclosed that the increasing trend of Covid-19 cases outside Nigeria posed a big threat.
“Certain countries coupled with widespread prevalence of mutant strains of the virus outside Nigeria, pose the risk of importation of these mutant strains,” said Hassan.
Hassan explained that the other cause is the recent re-institutionalisation of enforcement of the Covid-19 Health Protection Regulations in Nigeria due to increasing non-adherence by the public of non-pharmaceutical interventions and other Covid-19 protocols.
More so, Hassan said the delay in vaccinating a large proportion of the citizenry due to a shortage in global supply of vaccines translates to a risk of another wave of infections in the country.
Hassan said that PSC on Covid-19 profoundly appreciates the continuous efforts of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) in engaging them towards safeguarding athletes and the general public within the context of Covid-19 pandemic.
Kenya was preparing to name its team for the continental championships this week.
Kenya topped the medal standings with 19 medals; 11 gold, six silver and two bronze during the 2018 African Senior Championships held at Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Nigeria.
However, all the track times were not recognised by World Athletics since the new arena had not been certified.
That saw Kenya that won the men’s 4x400m fail to qualify for the 2019 World Championships despite attaining the standards.
