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As the African U18 and U20 Championships begins this weekend in Zambia, here are four things Nigerians should anticipate during the championship.
The combined fourth African U18 Championship and the 15th African U20 Championships will begin on Saturday in Lusaka, Zambia, from April 29th to May 3rd, 2023.
It will be the second time the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) is doing it combined, having held the maiden edition in Ivory Coast in 2019.
This year's edition will feature Nigeria's best young athletes after the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) named 42 athletes to don the country's colours in Zambia.
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With expectations high on these athletes considering the outstanding performances of their seniors at the last edition, here are five reasons Nigerians can anticipate the championship.
1 - Discovery of the next Nigerian superstars
The African U18 and U20 Championships are always stepping stones to discovering Nigeria's next set of superstars. Most athletes discovered at the championship go to US colleges on scholarships, eventually transitioning to the senior level.
Enoch Adegoke (Tokyo 2022 Olympian), Favour Ofili (Nigerian 200m Record holder), Rosemary Chukwuma (former Olympic youth champion), Nnamdi Chinecherem (Nigerian record holder in the javelin), and several others were champions in 2019 and have gone on to achieve great things.
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This time around, Zambia will berth a new set of rising stars that'll become global phenoms years from now.
2 - Championship Records that can be rewritten
Nigerian athletes own a couple of Championship Records (CR) in several events, mostly set at the 2019 edition in Ivory Coast. With the talents at disposal this time, it's almost certain some of these records will be rewritten, especially in the sprints events.
Here's a list of the records that could be erased.
Girl's U18 Category
- Favour Ofili's record in the 200m - 23.38s (2019)
- Kasie Veronica Ugeh's record in the triple jump - 12.56m (2013)
- Nicola de Bruyn's girl's record in the 100m - 11.73s (2015)
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Boy's U18 Category
- Tlotliso Leotlela's 100m record - 10.50s (2015)
- Aobakwe Nkobela's high jump record - 2.04m (2015)
Boy's U20 Category
- Enoch Adegoke's 100m record - 10.29s (2019)
Girl's U20 Category
- Mercy Nku's 100m record - 11.38s (1995)
- Delphine Atangana's 200m record - 23.40s (2003)
3 - Most Valuable Athlete of the Championship
In Ivory Coast, Ofili was the most valuable athlete of the championship after winning the 200m and 400m titles in Championship Records and winning a medal in the 4x400m.
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02:31 - 11.03.2023
NCAA 'Star Girl' is back! Ofili shatters records, bolts to the fourth fastest time in history
Favour Ofili can be considered as one of the greatest to run the indoor 200m, after storming to the fourth fastest time in world history.
Whoever wins this time will be stepping into the big shoes of the talented speedster and will be highly rated in the next few years.
4 - Overcoming Kenya and South Africa's dominance
The last time Nigeria topped the U20 overall medal table was the 2015 edition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In the U18 category, the last time was the 2013 edition in Warri, when Nigeria hosted and won.
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11:58 - 31.03.2023
ATHLETICS Behold our rising stars! Fiaku and Eyakpobeyan shine bright at National U18 and U20 Trials in Kaduna
The National U18 and U20 Trials is ongoing in Kaduna, and has produced several talents who are set to represent Nigeria at the African U18 and U20 Championships in Zambia.
South Africa and Kenya have always dominated, as Nigeria played third fiddle. This edition in Zambia looks promising as the athletes and officials have set sights on regaining their African dominance.
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