LAGOS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) has apologized for the delay in starting the ongoing 2018 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in southern Nigeria's Asaba.
CAA President Hamad Malboum Kalkaba, who addressed reporters at the venue of the championships on Friday, also commended the host state, Delta for accepting to stage the competition.
Malboum said Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub was given the hosting right two years but that the state did not finalize with CAA before it was given to Asaba.
The CAA president apologized to the athletes for any hitch they might have experienced since they arrived in the country, saying he was relieved that the event finally started.
Some athletes were stranded in Lagos for almost 48 hours, before they finally made their way to the host city.
On his part, the former president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Solomon Ogba accepted the blame, but pleaded for understanding.
Almost 1,000 athletes are participating in the five-day event that would end on Aug. 5.
