In this Aug 2, 2018 photo, Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum (right) speaks beside International Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF) President Sebastian Coe during a news conference at the Africa Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria. (PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

NAIROBI - The African Athletics Confederation (CAA) announced on Wednesday it had no choice but to postpone the continental cross country and track and field competitions.

The African championships were to be held in Algiers from June 24-28 and will now be staged in the summer of 2021

CAA president Hamad Malboum Kalkaba said the Africa cross country championships set for April 8 in Lome, Togo and the Africa athletics championships in Algiers, Algeria have been postponed indefinitely citing the coronavirus pandemic.

"We will have to postpone the world Under-20 in Nairobi as well as our African championships that was planned for June in Algiers," Kalkaba said on Wednesday.

The African championships were to be held in Algiers from June 24-28 and will now be staged in the summer of 2021.

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Besides, CAA and Togolese government agreed to postpone the Africa cross country championships by one year.

"CAA took the decision to postpone the African cross-country championships of Togo until 2021 and the council meeting until new date to avoid any threat on these events planned in Togo and preserve the health of our athletes and members," said Kalkaba.

At the same time, CAA announced the graduation of 20 international technical officials (ITO) from the African countries, who had participated in a seminar on strategies for the organization of competition for athletics.

The countries represented were South Africa, Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.