How organizational lapses heralded Asaba 2018
Despite a two year window offered the country to prepare for the 21st Africa Athletics Championship, Nigeria is still the butt of jokes and ridicule among other African nations following the organizational hitches that ushered in the continental event.
Before the commencement of what is now known as Asaba 2018 , the President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Colonel Hamad Malboum Kalkaba had on several occasions told the world how the Local Organising Committee, led by Solomon Ogba had put in place every resources at their disposal to successfully host Africa for the second time.
On Monday while speaking to journalists, he said that the ‘few places still being perfected’ will be ready ahead of the opening ceremony which held belatedly on Wednesday.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as Nigeria’s fire-brigade approach was witnessed in full measure. Before the opening ceremony on Wednesday, it was lamentations galore as flight hitches and other organizational lapses had dampened the spirits of the athletes.
Few hours to the opening ceremony, contractors battled frantically to put in place some of the key facilities like floodlight and some portions of the tartan track.
In a related development, Usher Komugisha, a renowned sports journalist from Uganda tweeted pictures of a stranded Ugandan team and a video of a Moroccan high jumper, who were lamenting that they have been stranded in Lagos for at least two days.
‘‘Nigeria has done a very poor job with the organization of flights! Look at Team Uganda,’‘ Komugisha tweeted.
Athletics Kenya (AK) President Jack Tuwei told journalists: “sad indeed. We have tried with the Local Organising Committee here in Asaba with a lot of frustrations and lack of decision. The competition delegate seems to have given up. Now the case has been presented to the CAA Council.”
As at Tuesday, 11 nations got stranded in Lagos at the same time, including South Africa, Egypt Burkina Faso, Kenya and Botswana with the competition scheduled to start the following day.
According to reports, the Kenyan team had a first batch of 22 athletes, one third of the party, finally departed Lagos for Asaba at about 4pm Tuesday after a 24-hour wait. Upon their arrival, the team had delays in getting their accreditation papers sorted out and in the process missed their scheduled warm up sessions.
The protocol team led by Chief Falilat Ogunkoya failed to ensure all athletes got to Asaba as at when due, rather they slept in the Lagos International Airport for 3 days.
It was reported that the Ethiopian delegation was contemplating on providing for themselves alternative route that would see them travel on a scheduled flight to Enugu and then connect via a two-hour road journey to Asaba on their own bill.
In the usual fire-brigade approach, chartered flights were arranged but were unable to meet demand with luggage either lost or misplaced in the ensuing melee. Even Nigerian athletes who are supposedly the hosts, had their share of the pains and troubles.
Furthermore, the opening ceremony which was supposed to start by 9am was shifted to 5:30pm with journalists across the country having difficulty getting their accreditation tags.
Close to 52 countries are featuring in the event that would end tomorrow, August 5 at the Late Stephen Keshi Memorial Stadium Asaba.
South Africa are the defending champions of the African Senior Athletics having hosted and won the last edition on home soil in Durban.
The first time Nigeria hosted the African Championships was in 1989, at the National Stadium in Lagos, and it was the sixth edition of
the event.