This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
Algeria Set to Host 2020 African Athletics Championships ¶
The 22nd African Athletics Championships will be held in Algiers, Algeria, from June 24 to 28, 2020. The event will serve as one of the last opportunities for African athletes to achieve qualifying standards for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Organizers, including the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) and the Algerian Athletics Federation (FAA), have been working together to ensure a successful event. CAA Director General Lamine Faty expressed satisfaction with the preparations, stating, "We are satisfied, but it is not a surprise for us. Each time Algeria commits to organize an African competition, we know that everything will be perfect thanks to the human resources and other capacities at its disposal. To keep it short, we have always found what we are looking for in Algeria."
The championships will take place at the 5 July Stadium, which is currently undergoing renovations. The stadium, opened in 1972 by Algerian President Houari Boumediene, has hosted several major sports events, including the 1975 Mediterranean Games, the 1978 and 2007 All Africa Games, and the 2000 African Championships.
Coaches, including former middle-distance runner Abderrahmane Morceli, are working with athletes to prepare them for the event. Morceli expressed confidence in Algeria's pool of talent, stating, "Our athletes are in very good condition. We are preparing very well and they are in very good shape."
Algeria will be hosting the championships for the third time, after Annaba in 1988 and Algiers in 2000. The country's athletes are looking to improve on their performance in the 2018 championships, where they won two gold and one bronze medals.
