Following the unveiling of the Calendar of events for the 2018 Athletics season, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has also released the standards required of senior athletes and juniors who will be keen on making the Nigerian team to international outings next year.
The standards released are in three categories tagged A, B and C. The main international event for next year is the Commonwealth Games holding in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4th to 15th. According to the AFN Technical Director Sunday Adeleye, the ‘A’ standard is for athletes who would be looking at making the team for the Commonwealth Games.
He noted that the standards were released to challenge the athletes to put in their best ahead of the incoming season.
He stated that the ‘B’ standard on the other hand, will be required of athletes that are hoping to represent Nigeria at the CAA African Senior Championships taking place in Asaba, Delta State. The competition has now been brought back to August 1st to 5th, instead of September 1st to 5th stated in the calendar.
The ‘C’ standard will be used to select athletes that will form the contingent to the IAAF World U-20 Championships billed to take centre stage in Finland from July 10th to 15th, the major competition at Junior level in 2018.
Athletes in the U-18 category will be looking forward to competing at the African Youth Games holding in Algiers, which would serve as trials for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games to be hosted by Argentina in October.
