Nigeria: African Athletics Masters Gear Up for Nigeria 2013

Former African athletics greats, are gearing up for the second African athletics masters championships billed for Lagos in May 2013.

The masters championships is an avenue for former athletics stars to live over their glorious years and also socialise with their former rivals on the track.

Top Nigerian stars like Chidi Imoh, Mary Onyali, Henry Amike, Falilat Ogunkoya and other African legends like Frankie Fredericks and Maria Mutola are being expected to compete at the championships.

Nigeria was given the right to host the championships after the inaugural African masters championships last year in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to Gloria Obajimi who is president of Nigeria master, the country was selected by the Africa masters sanctioning body, because Nigeria has an impressive record of athletes who were champions on the Africa continent in the past.

“Besides at the world masters championships last year in Helsinki, Finland we were encouraged to get ourselves organized in Nigeria.

“This was because Nigeria had a greater number of athletes in African,” said Mrs Obajimi a former Nigerian international and national 800m champion.

The local organising committee for the championships, has been meeting and members are brain-storming on how to present a memorable championships. The Nigeria masters had their first national championships last year in Calabar.

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