Sydney 2000 Olympic Games gold medalist, Enefiok Udo-Obong, has advised countries and athletes against making the fast-approaching CAA U-18/U-20 championships a do-or-die affair by thinking about results alone. He said that they should rather concentrate on developing themselves or their wards for future gain.
  
The championships, scheduled to be held at the MKO Abiola Sports Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State between July 16 and 20, will see both the youths and junior athletes fighting for honor for their respective countries.
   
Speaking ahead of the competition, Udo-Obong, who is the chairman of its Technical Committee, said the benefits are far beyond the result.
  
“The benefits of the U-18/U-20 athletics championships at any level cannot be underestimated,” he said. “It’s the beginning where young and developing athletes get their first chance at exposure, international exposure, the first feel of pressure, and this is by no means a little win developing the mental toughness, the competitive mobility of an athlete.
  
“Competing at such underage tournament is at times termed the identification phase, the development phase. It is the beginning of the exposure phase and the ability to weather this type of pressure, whether it is in terms of adversity, expectation, or the strict competition rules, regimented kind of programme, and still succeed.”