South Africa Retains CAA U18/U20 Title For Third Time

Team South Africa has triumphed once again at the 2025 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U18/U20 Championships, securing the title for the third consecutive time.

CAA President Hamad Kalkaba announced the victory during a press conference at the closing ceremony of the championships last night in Abeokuta, highlighting that South Africa led the competition with the highest medal tally ahead of other participating nations.

He noted that the host country, Nigeria, is solidifying its dominance in sprinting, showcasing a pool of promising young athletes for the future.

Kalkaba remarked that this year’s competition exhibited a high level of technical proficiency, with standout performances in sprinting, middle-distance events, as well as throwing and jumping disciplines.

A total of 940 athletes participated in the competition, with 362 competitors in the U18 events and 578 in the U20 category.

Highlighting individual achievements from the championships, Kalkaba revealed that Botswana’s Justice Oratile clocked a time of 45.38 seconds in the U20 400 metres, while three other athletes also finished under 46 seconds in the same event.

“South Africa’s Temoso Masikane achieved an impressive leap of 16.03 metres in the U20 Triple Jump, while Nigeria’s Honour Clement cleared 2.10 metres in the High Jump.

“Additionally, Nigeria’s Favour Ongah completed the women’s 400 metres in 52 seconds, and Prestina Ochonogor recorded a jump of 6.70 metres in the Long Jump,” he said.

According to Kalkaba, Africa is nurturing a strong new generation of athletes, as evidenced by Algeria and Egypt reaffirming their dominance in the throwing events.

He added: “Kenya continues to demonstrate consistency in middle-distance running, while South Africa excelled in the hurdle events. Our host, Nigeria, has solidified its lead in sprinting.”

Kalkaba also expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its support, stating, “They provided assistance after Algeria failed to meet the required standards,” before confirming that Algeria will host the 2027 edition of the championships.