AAG: Nigeria Sustains Dominance in Women Sprints …Moves To 2nd Position

Nigeria underlined her dominance of African women sprints on Monday in Maputo, Mozambique as three of her athletes swept the medals in the 100 metres at the 10th All-Africa Games.

Tidesports gathered that the trio of Damola Osayemi, Blessing Okagbare and Gloria Asume clinched the medals at stake to restate the country’s position in the event.

Osayemi ran the race in 10.9 seconds to win the gold medal, and dethroned her compatriot and African champion, Okagbare.

The U.S.-based Okagbare followed closely with a time of 11.01 seconds for the silver, while Asume took the bronze with a time of 11.26 seconds.

The men’s 100 metres race, however, had Amr Seoud of Egypt winning the gold in 10.2 seconds while Ben Youssef of Cote d’Ivoire finished second with a time of 10.28 seconds.

Nigeria’s Obinna Metu was right behind him to take the bronze medal with 10.29 seconds.

Doreen Amata of Nigeria also won gold in high jump after leaping over 1.88 metres, while her compatriot Agnes Osasuwa took the silver with a jump of 1.80 metres.

Nigeria’s Tosin Oke also won gold in the triple jump with a distance of 16.65 metres.

In the 110 metres hurdles, Nigeria’s Samuel Okon and Salim Nurudeen also won the silver and bronze medals respectively while Algeria’s Hadji Lasib took the gold.

Meanwhile, journalists covering the 10th All Africa Games here in Maputo have not been having it easy as organisers continue to demonstrate a very high level of incompetence.

From discrepancies in results of events to the non-release of daily medal table, the confusion makes it almost impossible for journalists to have a good picture of the performances of various contingents.

This has made some adventurous news reporters to send home unauthenticated medal tables, based on conjectures.

Till the time of filing in this report, the final result of the men’s100 meters final was still shrouded in controversy as two results emerged yesterday after the race. While the first version had Egypt’s Amir Ibrahim winning the gold, Nigeria’s Oghene Egwero and compatriot Obinna Metu in second and third positions respectively, the latest result reconfirmed Egypt’s Amir Ibrahin Seoud gold medal with a time of 10.20 secs and the silver medal to Ben Yusuf of Ivory Coast (10.28 secs) while Obinna Metu(10.29 secs) retained the bronze.

It could be recalled that Nigeria’s Iworima Otonye, competing in the Women’s Tripple Jump event, had her gold medal nullified after the Confederation of African Athletics had faulted the conduct of the event by “incompetent technical officials.” A faulty jump was said to have earned her the gold and the medal was withdrawn when other countries protested. Nigeria appealed and got a judgment ordering a repeat of the final event.

However, Track and Field has lifted Nigeria to the second position, at the conclusion of events last night. Athletics had garnered up to 7 gold medals. Nigeria won the 4X100m relay in the men and women events shortly after Seun Adigun won the 100m Hurdles.

“It is good that Track and Field is doing well but I know that we could have done better,” Athletics

Federation boss, Solomon Ogba said. The quartet of Agnes Osazuwa, Gloria Asumo, Demola Osayemi and Blessing Okagbare won gold for Nigeria in the 4×100 meters relay. They dusted their opponents in a time of 43 secs to bag gold.

Nigeria’s impressive showing in athletics continued with yet another gold medal in the men’s 4×100 relay as the quartet of Benjamin Adukwu, Peter Emelieze, Obinna Metu won the gold. Gloria Deborah also won gold in the partially sighted 200 meters event.