Nigeria Athletics 2011 season calendar kicks off in February

The 2011 athletics calendar of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) opens next month with the first National All Comers event at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan from February 18-19.

The second All Comers comes up in Lagos from March 4-5 and the third in the series will hold in Ijebu-Ode from March 18-19, 2011.

New introductions to the AFN programme for 2011 include developmental Under-16 and Under-18 national athletics trials, aimed at discovering fresh talents and new track events.

The U-16 and U-18 youth championships named after Pastor D.K Olukoya, the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry will hold at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos in late March.

According to the AFN statement, signed by its Asst. Secretary General, Mrs Rita Akande, "the following unconventional track events will be competed for during the National all comers series. They are:- 60m, 150m, 300m, 600m, 1000m, 1mile and all field events inclusive".

The AFN Golden League series will begin in April with the Abuja leg named after the Chief of Naval Staff on the 15th and 16th, to be followed by the Kaduna leg named after Bishop David Oyedepo of the Winners Chapel from May 6-7 and the fourth leg named after Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Warri from May 20-21.

The venue of the final legs of the league, proposed for June 3-4 are yet to be decided.