Athletics Africa Magazine

With the IAAF's qualification deadline of 3 August 2009 (midnight Monaco time) for the submission of final entries for relay teams, from the IAAF’s 213 Member Federations, fast approaching, Kenya and Nigeria relay teams head to Germany this weekend in last-ditch efforts to make the World Championships in Berlin. Kenya, once a force to reckon with in the men's 4X400m relay, with a silver medal (by the quartet of Kennedy Ochieng, Simon Kemboi, Abednego Matilu and Samson Kitur) at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, are struggling badly. A recent attempt at qualifying at the 4th CAA Super Grand Prix meet in Abuja , Nigeria two weeks ago ended when a collision with the Nigerian third leg at the final changeover left the Kenyan anchor leg with his right spike shoe off and unable to meet the 3:03.30 qualifying mark as the team ended third in 3:03.90. Kenyan sprint coach Stephen Mwaniki told me in Abuja they plan to take the 4X400m relay quartet (Anderson Mureta, Mark Mutai, ...

South Africa's Godfrey Khotso Mokoena, L.J. Van Zyl and Sudan's Abubakar Kaki were dominant African winners at today's Herculis Monaco IAAF Super Grand Prix meet . Khotso Mokoena continued his recent good form in Monaco with a comfortable win in the men's Long Jump with a leap of 8.28m. Senegal's Ndiss Kaba Badji (7.98m) was 5th. Mokoena told the media: "I feel great, it was nice and fun. This is my first time in Monaco, it's a great city. "It is a nice competition, I passed a few attempts, I am taking it easy because the World Championships are only 3 weeks away. All the guys are doing well, I am looking forward to more competitions, can't wait for Berlin." Uganda's Moses Ndiema Kipsiro won the men's 3000m in a personal best of 7:30.95. Kenyans Silas Kipruto (7:32.52) and Sammy Alex Mutahi (7:33.02) were second and third respectively. South African L.J. Van Zyl also took apart a strong men's 400m hurdles field that include Americ...

The World Youth Championships 2009 will be shown comprehensively live on TV. Rai Sport Più (accessible on Astra satellite) and Eurosport will report 14 hours live from Bressanone/Brixen and supplement it with delayed daily summaries. A total of 30 hours reporting on the WYC is planned. Competitions begin on Wednesday at 9:30 am. There are 40 medal events on the programme. According to the Italian athletics federation FIDAL Rai Sport Più has set the following TV Schedule:

Well, it has happened again! A Nigerian national team has once again been denied entry Visas to a major championships. So the report I'm hearing that the Nigeria’s 14-man team to the 6th World Youth Athletics Championships in Bressanone, Italy has ran into visa hitch with the Italian embassy in Lagos, two days to the start of the competition is hardly surprising. Now this championship, The World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy has been on the IAAF calendar all year, so why are the team members still in Nigeria two days to the Opening ceremony? South Africa and Kenya named their teams over three weeks ago and I'm sure visa issues, if any arose, would have been resolved early as the teams are all in Italy by now. The Italian Embassy refused to issue the team visas after the embassy officials rejected the supporting documents - even with the Federal Government of Nigeria official letter head - covering the athletes’ trip to Italy for the Championships, which starts on W...