The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has taken a decisive step to strengthen the country’s track and field prospects ahead of a busy 2026 season.

The AFN, in a statement, said the federation, with the National Sports Commission, had selected the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba as the official training camp for home-based athletes.

“The camp base is for home-based athletes preparing for major national and international championships this year. It will serve as the launch pad for Team Nigeria’s preparations for a packed calendar.

“These include the World Relays Championship in Gaborone, Botswana, in May, the Senior Confederation of African Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana, the CAA Region II Senior Championships in Dakar, Senegal, and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in July.

“It also includes the World Junior Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, in August,” the statement said.

It added that the AFN president, Tonobok Okowa, led an inspection tour of the stadium alongside the federation’s technical director, Gabriel Okon, the federation’s scribe, Israel Inwang, and the athletes’ representative on the board, Henry Okorie.

“The visit was aimed at ensuring that the stadium and supporting infrastructure meet the standards required for high-performance training ahead of the crucial competitions,” said AFN.

It noted that a major boost to the camping programme came from funding by the NSC and support from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who approved the use of facilities at Stephen Keshi Stadium.

The AFN president said the camping exercise would be conducted in phases and closely supervised by the federation’s technical committee to ensure effective monitoring, proper conditioning, and gradual build-up of athletes across different events and age categories.

Mr Okowa assured the home-based athletes of the federation’s full commitment to their welfare and overall success, stressing that creating a stable and supportive environment remains a top priority of the current administration.

On the Athletics Integrity Unit age probe, Mr Okowa said the federation had already submitted a comprehensive response to the AIU regarding alleged age discrepancies involving some under-18 and under-20 athletes.

(NAN)