AFN to Bid for 2025 World Athletics Championships

Femi Solaja

Following the ‘successes’ recorded at the African Athletics Championships in Asaba, strong indications emerged last night that Nigeria intends to bid for the hosting right for the World Athletics Championships to hold in 2025.

The President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Ibrahim Gusau at a World press conference held yesterday in Asaba said the country is very much in strong contention to stage the games in 2025 following the gains of the African elite event which would be rounded up tomorrow in Asaba.

The quest to stage the global event was fuelled by the decision of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) President, Sebastian Coe to allow an African city to stage the event on the continent and going by the permutations, five countries including Nigeria are in the running to stage the global event.

This was the reason why the AFN boss, Gusau, decided to throw Nigeria’s bid into the ring.

“With the gains of what we have done here (Asaba 2018), we have all it takes to stage the global event in 2025 and perhaps any other major sporting event on a large scale,” the AFN boss assured last night at the Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba.

Thisday sports reliably gathered at the ongoing championships that other countries that will vie to host the event asides Nigeria are South Africa, Kenya and Morocco. It is however not clear if Asaba will contest or try to edge out Abuja whom the Sports Ministry intends to put forward as the country’s city to bid for the global event.

Meanwhile, after four days of intensive competition among the 52 countries that competed for honours at the ongoing African Championships, the CAA Asaba 2018’s flag would be lowered this evening with Nigeria still in touching distance to catch up with South Africa on the overall medals table.

As at last night, both countries have 10 gold medals each but the ‘Rainbow Nation’ have more silver and bronze medals to their advantage. More so, Caster Semenya who will be competing in the 800 metres female final looks set to pick the gold just as they hope to win in the 4×400 metres relay final tonight.