Abuja Games, Nov 14-19

Nigeria: 450 Athletes Set for ANOCA Games

Daily Champion (Lagos)

October 19, 2006
Posted to the web October 19, 2006

Lagos

Over 450 athletes and officials have so far entered to participate in the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Zone III Games, scheduled to hold in Abuja, between November 14 and 19 2006.

Six of the eight countries that make up zone III have since filed their entries for the Games. They are Benin Republic with a contingent of 82, Liberia, 72; Cote dā€™ Ivoire, 64; Burkina Faso 75: Togo, 94; and hosts Nigeria, 94.

Although, Ghana and Niger ā€“ member countries of the zone ā€“ have also given indications that they will take part, they have yet to file their entries.

The Games would feature four events - Athletics, Boxing, Table Tennis and Volleyball.

Of the six that filed entries, only Burkina Faso will not field athletes in volleyball, the only team event in the Games.

The Zone Games is exclusively for U-20s. It an African youth development initiative, which was introduced toward preparing for the 9th All Africa games scheduled for Algiers in 2007 and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, to be hosted by China.

Meanwhile, President of ANOCA, Ivorian, Gen. Lassana Palenfo will arrive in the country on Nov. 12 in time to attend the opening ceremonies of the ANOCA Games in Abuja.

Secretary-General of ANOCA, Angolan, Gustavo Diaz Conceicaeo and the Executive Director, Cameroonian, Sone Winslow will accompany him during the tour.

While in the country, Gen. Palenfo will use the opportunity provided by the visit to inspect the ANOCA secretariat, meet with top government officials. He will later sign the protocol agreement, formally transferring the secretariat from Yaounde, Cameroons to Abuja, Nigeria.

ANOCA, an affiliate of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is an umbrella body founded to coordinate the propagation and spread of Olympic Movement in the African continent.