The Honorobale Minister for Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung

on Thursday paid a visit to the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta

State where the 21st African Senior Athletics Championships will be

holding from August 1-5.

The minister who was conducted round the edifice by the chairman of the

Local Organizing Committee, LOC for CAA Asaba 2018 Chief Solomon Ogba as

well as the Head of Technical for the championships, Yussuf Alli

expressed great delight at the quality of work done at the stadium.

In a statement issued by Olukayode Thomas, CAA Asaba 2018 Head of Media

and Publicity, Dalung said the facilities put in place at the Stephen

Keshi Stadium are not just good enough for the African championships but

they are capable of even hosting the IAAF World Championships.

 

The Minister admitted that a lot of work has been done since his last

visit to the stadium and he specially thanked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for

leaving another legacy in sports in Delta state and Nigeria as a whole.

Dalung pointed out that the sporting family in Delta State and across

Nigeria would forever be grateful for the excellent work midwifed by the

Delta State governor and the members of the LOC for CAA Asaba 2018.

The Minister for Youth and Sports also pledged that the Federal

Government will offer support to Delta state to ensure that Asaba put up

a world class championship in August.

According to the minister, the gains of hosting the African Senior

Athletics Championships is not limited to Delta State hence the Federal

government will lend support in anyway they can since it is for the

collective good.

Meanwhile, the minister has also expressed great optimism that Team

Nigeria will do well at the African Championships having confirmed that

the country’s best legs across the world including those that missed out

on the Commonwealth Games are expected to be present in Asaba.

The minister noted that the athletes all know what accrues to them if

they win medals in Asaba; hence they have been preparing and would

definitely give their best shot as they compete with the rest of the

continent.