Action from the men's 3000m steeplechase at the 2013 Rabat athletcs meeting, which now has IAAF Diamond League status ©Getty Images

Nigeria’s Commonwealth 100 and 200 metres champion Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor has said that this weekend's International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) Diamond League meeting in Rabat - the first to be held on the continent - can have worldwide benefits.

Speaking at the pre-event conference held ahead of what will be the ninth Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme on Sunday (May 22), the US-based Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, who will compete in the 100m, commented:

“I am very, very excited about the Diamond League coming to Africa.

“Sport is something that should connect the whole world and bring people together.

“So I think having the Diamond League here for the first time is really good for Africa and for sport in general.”

In March, Rabat finished ahead of rival meetings in Beijing, Ostrava and Rio de Janeiro in the contest to take up the Diamond League place vacated this year by New York - whose organisers will now stage a Street Games event.

The Moroccan capital first applied for membership of the IAAF Diamond League in 2014 and has since undergone a rigorous evaluation process to confirm its organisation, facilities and services were of a high enough standard for inclusion into athletics’ top-tier international invitational circuit.

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, pictured (left) competing in Kawasaki earlier this month, has welcomed the IAAF Diamond League's debut in Africa this weekend ©Getty Images
Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, pictured (left) competing in Kawasaki earlier this month, has welcomed the IAAF Diamond League's debut in Africa this weekend ©Getty Images

Sebastian Coe, IAAF President and chairman of Diamond League AG, commented after the decision had been made: "We are pleased to be able to take our premier athletics series into a new continental area.

“We thank New York for contributing to this great project during the last six seasons and know that they will continue to support Athletics in the future.

“We proudly welcome the inclusion of Rabat."

Speaking ahead of the opening Diamond League meeting of the season in Doha, Qatar’s Dahlan al-Hamad, IAAF vice-president and President of the Asian Athletics Association, welcomed the Diamond League debut of Rabat, adding:

“Undoubtedly Rabat joing the group of Diamond League organisations pleases us as a country in the Middle East.

“If we consider Africa we find that it is one of the main powers in athletics - I think that it was time for Africa to get onto the Diamond League circuit.

Morocco has a long history in athletics and in organising world-class events such as the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakech.

“We wish them all success.”