African athletes to warm up for Beijing in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - More than 1,000 athletes will take part in the African Athletics Championships, a good chance to warm up for the Olympic Games, an Ethiopian official said on Tuesday.

Dube Jillo, technical director of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, said 40 of Africa's 53 states had confirmed their participation in the championships in Addis Ababa between April 30 and May 4.

"We expect the remaining 13 countries to confirm in due course, bringing the number of athletes expected to participate to around 1,200," Dube told Reuters.

With the Olympic Games to follow in August, Dube said it was a chance for African athletes to test their ability "to excel against the world's best in Beijing".

Olympic 10,000 metres champion Kenenisa Bekele will head a strong home team.

The African championships are held every two years.