A High Altitude Athletics Training Centre is to be established in Jos, Plateau State following an agreement signed in Lagos at the weekend by the Minister for Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung, President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Hamad Kalkaba Malboum as well as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) President, Solomon Ogba.
According to a press release circulated by the Special Assistant Media to the Sports Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Monday, Malboum stressed the need for Africans to develop their own athletes by setting up structures and facilities that will enhance and develop athletes on their own continent.
“We have already set up a High Performance Centre in the University of Port Harcourt. We intend to set up another one in Jos for the middle and long distance runners because we have seen that we need to prepare our athletes in Africa. When you send them to UK, in a few months they change nationality and easily become British citizens.
“Even their coaches don’t support our athletes because they want their own to win. So, this is why we need to set up our own facility for long and middle distance runners in Africa to develop our own athletes”, Malboum explained.
In his response, the Youth and Sports minister Dalung thanked the CAA President for his passion in promoting African sports and enhancing the prospects of African youths. He enumerated the role of sports in national development.
He said, “Sports is one of the strongest weapons of promoting development in Africa. The only thing that can provide gainful employment for youths and engage them is sports. Without a High Performance system, African sports will depend on talent and determination. Sports in the world has moved from talent and determination to science.
“So, if Africa must make its impact within global sports, it must build a capacity to be able to favourably challenge and compete. We are not lacking in talent and determination, but we are lacking in the institutional framework to harness these particular potentials for our comparative advantage. We will be very grateful if the idea of building a High Performance Centre is nurtured to maturity”.
A delegation from the IAAF and the CAA is expected to come for an initial inspection of the site in Jos for further recommendations and provision of facilities. The High Altitude Athletics Training centre when completed, will serve athletes from West Africa. Similar training centres are already located in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Dakar and Zambia.
The trio also signed an agreement for Nigeria to host the 22nd edition of the Africa Senior Athletics Championships to be held in Lagos in 2018.
