The 2025 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Zone II, Under-18 and Under-20 Championships has been slated for Dakar Senegal.
Athletics Federation of Nigeria president Tonobok Okowa who is also CAA Zone 2 president dropped the hint stating that Senegal hosts of the 2026 Youth Olympics was chosen to enable other countries in the CAA zone 2 feel the impact of athletics development.
“Senegal got the nod ahead of Nigeria, Guinea and Burkina Faso because CAA Zone II, wants to expand its reach, unite the region through sport and give every West African country a sense of belonging.
“We’ve hosted CAA Zone II competitions in Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana which are in the West side of the sub region, it’s time to give the East side their fair opportunity to create history and add value to a sport we all love and cherish with passion,” Okowa said.
Okowa said he was elated by the choice of Dakar as host city of the sporting fiesta – a development that followed the Confederation of African Athletics CAA Zone II, evaluation of sporting facilities in Senegal, the government guarantee and their financial strength.
He said: “Senegal Athletics is a whole lot of energy, with a lot of very resourceful, hospitable and dynamic people, who understand and appreciate the issues around hospitality. It is a country with population that has a lot of diversity.
“We understand there will be a few concerns. As a government, we will give our assurances on all things required to make the event successful. We will ensure adequate security for all participants. We will also be supporting Senegal and Senegal Athletics to ensure seamless transportation, accommodation and crowd management. We will do whatever we can to create an enduring experience for the visitors coming to the CAA Zone II events.”
Over 500 athletes and officials from 16 countries are expected to compete at the Championships. The last weekend in March is the tentative date for the competition, but Okowa said the CAA Zone II secretariat will fine tune the dates for the event.
