Team Nigeria, yesterday, grabbed one more gold medal to finish third at the 2024 African Senior Athletics championships, in Douala, Cameroon.
At the 2022 edition, which held in Port Louis, Mauritius, Nigeria also finished third on the overall medals table with 11 medals, – five gold, three silver, and three bronze behind Kenya and South Africa.
At the end of hostilities at the Japoma Stadium, Douala, yesterday, Nigeria secured five gold, four silver and four bronze medals, with most of the medals coming from the female athletes, who won four gold, three silver and two bronze.
Their male counterparts got only two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Two years ago in Mauritius, Team Nigeria saved its best for the last day of competition, winning four medals across both track and field events. And in Douala, yesterday, the women’s 4x400m relay grabbed the gold medal in 3.27.31 seconds. Their male counterparts finished fourth in 3 02.93 seconds.
United States-based sprinter, Alaba Akintola, could not match the speed of his co-competitors in the 200m final, as he finished sixth.
Among the athletes, who defended their titles in Douala are Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, who won the men’s shot put event. He won the title at Asaba 2018, and retained it in Mauritius 2022.
Women discus thrower, Obiageri Amaechi, won the gold medal this time around, after she settled for bronze two years ago in Mauritius.
Ese Brume did not disappoint, as she retained her title in Douala, just the same way that the country’s women 4x100m squad, led by Tobi Amusan secured a gold medal in Douala.
One major setback that Nigeria had in Douala was Amusan’s inability to defend her women’s 100m hurdles due to illness. Nigeria was hoping to grab two gold medals in the women’s 100m and 200m, but it was dashed after United States-based sprinter, Favour Ofili pulled out of the Championships.
Temitope Adeshina lost the gold to her Ghanaian challengers in the high jump event. She had grabbed the silver medals two years ago in Mauritius.
When Nigeria hosted the event in 2018 in Asaba, Delta State, she finished third.
