Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Archives

Aug72018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba 2018: Okowa Failed Nigeria Shamefully – Reuben Abati

NEWS

Former presidential spokesman and renowned columnist, Reuben Abati has described the just concluded 21st Africa Senior Athletics Championships as "The Asaba disgrace". Abati, in his article said that Nigeria expended N4 billion in the competition and harvested insults in return. According to him, the Delta state Government messed up the opportunity thoroughly and shamelessly, saying Governor Ifeanyi Okowa promised to host a "superlative event" but "he failed Nigeria". Below is the full article: “I think this is the first and last time I will come to Nigeria to compete. If you are not ready to organise something please don’t…It was three days of travel for some and two days for others; like you are travelling from Africa to Asia or America. I have been to four African Champi...

Aug72018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba 2018: “We Were Hired To Fetch Water With Buckets For Athletes”, Protesting Casual Workers Reveal

NEWS

“We were promised N3,000 for a full day work. We resume 5.30am and close around 8.30pm. We fetched water with buckets for three days after the stadium over head storage water tank collapsed which was not the initial agreement", one of the casual workers engaged by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championship, said on Monday. The workers stated this while protesting over the alleged unpaid allowances promised them by some of the contracting firms hired by the LOC for the five-day continental athletics championship tagged Asaba 2018 held at the recently reconstructed Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State. BigPen Online recalls that a giant tank that was supposed to provide water for the stadium collapsed second day of the co...

Aug52018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba 2018: Nigeria Win 3 Gold Medals On Last Day, Finish 3rd

NEWS

Team Nigeria on Sunday, the last day of the 2018 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Asaba, clinched three gold medals, increased the country’s gold medal tally to nine. The women 4×400 team of Folashade Abugan, Yinka Ajayi, Patience Okon-George and Abike Egbeniyi won the last gold of the championships for Nigeria. NAN also reports that Glory Nathaniel and Blessing Grace Anigbata also won gold in the 400m hurdles and tripple Jump events respectively. In the men’s 4×400 event, Nigeria finished third, while Kenya and South African teams finished in the first and second position respectively. In all, Nigeria finished third on the medals table with nine gold, five silver and five bronze, while Kenya topped the table with 11 gold, six silver and two bronze. The w...

Aug52018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba 2018: Ajunwa Hails Okowa, Says Hosting Great Gain

NEWS

Nigerian first Olympic gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa-Opara, on Saturday said that Nigeria’s hosting of the ongoing 21st Africa Senior Athletics Championships would help its athletes to aspire to be the best. “Having a major event like the Africa Championships is a good one for Nigeria; it shows that the governor of Delta is very passionate about sports development. “Hosting a competition like this gives our upcoming athletes the opportunity to compete with the best and also aspire to be the best,’’ the Olympic gold medalist told the News Agency of Nigeria. Ajunwa-Opara commended the Delta State Government for hosting the African continent on senior athletics at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. She said: “The governor has done a great job; he deserves commend...

Aug32018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba 2018: Local Organising Committee Faults Media Report On Collapse Facility

NEWS

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 21st African Senior Athletics Championships, tagged "Asaba 2018" has reacted to media report that a head tank at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta state collapsed during the ongoing event. The media department of the LOC on Friday says the "report on some news platform about a falling fence near the swimming pool area at the Stephen Keshi Stadium was sensational". According to Olukayode Thomas, the Head of Media and Publicity for the CAA Asaba 2018, who signed a statement in reaction to the story, faulted the way the incidence was reported, saying it gives a wrong perception of what actually happened. “It is unfortunate to see journalists deliberately chose not to be professional in their work. The area in question is far away ...

Aug32018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Okowa Orders Investigation Into Collapse Water Tank At Asaba Stadium

NEWS

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has ordered an investigation into the remote and immediate cause of the collapse of a water tank at Stephen Keshi Stadium during the ongoing African Senior Athletics Championships holding in Asaba, the state capital. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Charles Aniagwu, says the Governor has directed a panel of inquiry to investigate the circumstances leading to the collapse of the tank behind the main bowl of the stadium. The governor, the statement said described the incident as regrettable and thanked God that no life was lost. He expressed concern that the water tank collapsed during the competition, saying the circumstances surrounding the collapse would be unravaled. Governor Okowa also emphasised that discilp...

Aug22018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba Stadium Facility Collapses During African Senior Athletics Championship

NEWS

A giant water tank at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta state has collapsed during the ongoing 21st African Senior Athletics Championships, tagged "Asaba 2018". The facility which collapsed left several vehicles and wall fence damaged. The incident, BigPen Online learnt caused panic among the athletes and spectators as the game was going on. Senior Delta Government officials were busy at the stadium when the incident happened, but an eyewitness said no one was injured in the collapse. An official of the State Sports Commission, Asaba, who craved anonymity confirmed the incident saying it could be a fallout of shoddy job at the stadium to meet the August target. "All construction carried out in the stadium were done in a hurry so it could be a result of the rush wor...

Aug22018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Anger As Asaba Fails Hosting Test For Championship

NEWS

Whoever gave Asaba the rights to host this year’s Africa Athletics Championships must see a doctor. Organisers at the Delta State city have conjured up an excellent manual of how not to host an international competition by throwing into motion a horrendous protocol and hospitality programme for arriving athletes, officials and media. Scenes of hundreds of athletes stranded at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, awaiting special charters to Asaba, some 500 kilometres away, have been the worst ever advertisement for African athletics. Clearly, despite having the resources, Asaba wasn’t ready for these championships, with freshly laid tarmac at the Asaba Airport, construction trucks, graders with engines still hot coupled with fresh paint on Asaba city pavements ...

Jul182018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba Athletics Championship: We Are Set To Host The Continent – Otuaro

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The Delta State Acting Governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro says the state government is ready to host the continent at the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship tagged “Asaba 2018” scheduled for August 1st – 5th . Otuaro who disclosed this on Wednesday while declaring open the “African Tour/Trial”, and test run of facilities at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, venue of the championship, said all the necessary facilities needed for the championship were in place for a successful event. He said athletes from 45 African countries including Nigeria will be in Asaba for the championship, stressing that "Today marks the test running of the facilities in preparation of the African Senior Athletics Championship and as you can see we are very set for the country, we are set for Afr...

Jul172018 by Bigpenngr, RotterdamNo Comments

Asaba Athletic Championship: Delta Announces Road, Traffic Diversions

NEWS

The Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) and the Asaba 2018 Local Organising Committee (LOC), as part of efforts to ensure a hitch-free Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship has announced road and traffic diversions in the Asaba, the Delta state capital. The tournament will hold at the reconstructed Stephen Keshi Stadium along Nnebisi road in Asaba from Wednesday, August 1st to Sunday, August 5th 2018. A statement jointly signed on Tuesday by Rindom Kumven - Sector Comd FRSC, Stephen Dieseruvwe -DG, DESTMA, as well as Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (Rtd) - Head, LOC Security Committee, disclosed that the traffic diversions during the championship was as a result of road closures at two points along Nnebisi Road. The statement advised motorist...