West African Athletics Championships

{{Short description|International athletics competition between West African Athletics}}

{{Infobox recurring event

| name = West African Athletics Championships

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| logo = Athletics pictogram.svg

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| genre = outdoor track and field

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| venue = varied

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| first = 1997

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| participants = West African nations

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| organised = Confederation of African Athletics

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The West African Athletics Championships is an international athletics competition between West African nations, organised by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).

The event was first held in 1997, two years after a combined West and North African Athletics Championships, and was contested on four occasions until 2005.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/wafg.htm West and North African Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2019-10-13. The event was relaunched as a biennial, senior and under-20 competition in 2017 under the official title of the CAA Region 2 African Championships.[http://www.africathle.com/2017/05/14/ecowas-championships-conakry-guinea-12-14052017/ West African championships, Niamey (Niger) 25-27/07/2019]. Africathle. Retrieved 2020-03-07.[http://www.africathle.com/2019/08/02/west-african-championships-niamey-niger-25-27-07-2019/ West African championships, Niamey (Niger) 25-27/07/2019]. Africathle. Retrieved 2020-03-07.

Nigeria, the largest nation in the region, did not take part in 1997 or 2005. As a result, the competition was an opportunity for athletes from smaller nations in the region to train and prepare for larger scale athletics championships.Ba, Oumar (2005-04-25). [https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/west-african-championships-in-dakar-today-and West African Championships in Dakar today and tomorrow]. World Athletics. Retrieved 2020-02-13.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/wafg.htm West African Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-02-13.

The CAA began to organise other regional African championships in the same period, including the East African Athletics Championships, North African Athletics Championships and African Southern Region Athletics Championships.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/asrc.htm African Southern Region Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2019-10-16.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/wafg.htm West and North African Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2019-10-16.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/nafc.htm North African Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-02-13.

Among other athletics events to be held for the region were the West African Games in 1977 and the West African Cross Country Championships in 1996.