The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has invited 90 athletes for camping ahead of the 2025 CAA U-18/U-20 African Championships billed for Abeokuta, Ogun State.
 
The event will run from July 16 to 20, 2025.
  
The three-week camping will see coaches put the athletes through fitness regimes that will bring them near peak performance to achieve the AFN’s desire to top the medal’s table.
   
Speaking on the development, AFN Technical Director, Gabriel Okon, said the coaches will concentrate on areas that Nigerian athletes are likely to do well and win, adding that the primary goal of the federation is to give young athletes the exposure they need.
  
“We are going to have about three weeks of comprehensive training and then evaluate the athletes before making a final selection for the championships,” said Okon.
   
“Some of athletes participated at the just-concluded National Sports Festival and so, we expect that they would still be in top shape. We will be focusing on areas we know we can do well.”
   
Okon, who was recently elected into the AFN board from the South-South said that the AFN’s new board is looking to start on a good note with the CAA U-20 and U-18 Championships being the first competition of the new leadership.
 
Meanwhile, Kenya has revealed that it is preparing a contingent of 45 athletes for the championships.
 
According to Athletics Kenya Youth Committee Secretary, Joseph Ilovi, 45 athletes were picked from a two-day trial, which ended on Saturday.
  
After the trials, Ilovi said, the athletes will head to camp from June 30 to July 13, before departing to Nigeria on July 14.
  
He revealed that U-20 athletes must meet qualifying standards set by CAA, but the U-18 category is open.
  
The Nigerian championships, the third combined youth and junior event, was initially scheduled to hold in Oran, Algeria, but was moved for what the CAA said were “various reasons.”
 
Over 800 athletes from about 53 countries are expected to participate in the competition.