South Africa arrives in Abeokuta eyeing historic hat-trick at African U18/U20 Championships
With just three days to go until the 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships kick off in Abeokuta, defending champions South Africa have touched down in Nigeria with one goal in mind: securing a third consecutive title and cementing their dominance in youth athletics on the continent.
The event, hosted at the iconic MKO Abiola International Stadium from July 16–20, will feature over 43 countries and nearly 1,000 athletes and officials, making it one of the largest youth athletics gatherings in African history.
The South Africans topped the medal table at the first edition of the combined championships in 2019 in Cote d’Ivoire with 26 golds and a total of 56 medals, leading ahead of Kenya and Nigeria.
They repeated their feat four years later, this time in Ndola, Zambia, finishing first again with 66 medals, dominating both U18 and U20 categories.
Now in Abeokuta, the South African delegation—led by a 70-strong athlete contingent—is gunning for a hat-trick of titles, a feat that would solidify their status as the continent’s youth athletics powerhouse.
Media Consultant to Athletics South Africa, Sifiso Cele, confirmed the team’s intent: ‘The mandate given to each athlete is simple—bring the African title home.’
But the challenge won’t be easy. Host nation Nigeria, along with Kenya, Egypt, and Botswana, have also arrived and are expected to field strong teams. Nigeria, in particular, will be looking to reclaim the top spot it held during the 1997 U20 Championships in Ibadan and the 2013 U18 Championships in Warri, both of which it hosted and won.
