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Team Nigeria began its chase for medals at the 2024 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon on a good note, yesterday, capturing two gold medals on Day one of the Championships.
Thrower Chukwebuka Enekwechi won the men’s shot put event with a throw of 21.20m, just as Nigeria also dominated the women’s discuss throw, with the trio of Ashley Anumba, Chioma Oyekwere and Obiagheri Ameachi.
Of the three gold medals available yesterday, Nigeria captured two, while Ethiopia got one in the women’s 500m.
Earlier, World Record Holder in the women’s 100 hurdles, Tobi Amusan withdrew from the event. Amusan had arrived in Douala on Thursday morning alongside other members of the Nigerian contingent with no sign of illness. But she fell ill in the night, and Sports Ministry’s medical personnel attached to the AFN team to Douala advised her to take a rest.
AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, confirmed yesterday that he decided to withdraw Amusan from the event on health ground. Amusan came to Douala, not only to defend her 100m hurdles title but with the aim for a hat-trick after winning in 2018 and 2022.
The illness on Friday morning thus prevented her from becoming the third Nigerian nay African woman to win the 100m hurdles event three straight times after Maria Usifo and Glory Alozie.
Meanwhile, Nigerian sprinters gave a good account of themselves in the 100m heat events concluded on Day one of the championships, yesterday.
In the women’s race, Rosemary Chukwuma came from behind to finish second behind Cote d’Ivoire Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith. But speed star, Favour Ofili, strolled from the start to finish line in the second heat.
In the men’s 100m event, Godson Brume, Ushoritse Itshekiri, Kanyinsola Ajayi all made it to the semifinal concluded yesterday evening.
Today, the men sprinters will be seeking to return Nigeria to the podium since 2008 when Olusoji Fasuba won for the third consecutive time, while the women will be seeking a first for Nigeria since 2014 when Blessing Okagbare ran a then Championships’ record of 11.00 to win the title.
In the men’s 400m heat, Chidi Okezie also strolled to the finish, line yesterday.
The 2024 African Senior Championships in Douala is not without some hitches on the part of the organisers. Apart from low spectatorship at the Japoma Sports Complex owing to what the fans tagged low publicity, the media center lacked some of the basic personnel to handle certain things, thereby making the job a bit difficult for visiting journalists, particularly due to language barrier.
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