WAUG 2012: Ghana Wins Athletics First Gold Medal

Esther Adwubi of the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana yesterday in Ilorin won the first athletics gold medal at the ongoing 13th West Africa Universities Games (WAUG).

She won the gold medal in the women’s 5000 metres as the athletics competition got under way at the University of Ilorin Sports Complex.

The WAUG 2012 athletics competition was starting two days behind schedule and will end tomorrow.

Adwubi returned a time of 19 mins 09.87 sec in the race, while Muibat Ogunkoya of Lagos Sate University won the silver medal in 20 mins 01.99 secs.

Veronica Onyechinwa was third in the race for the bronze medal in a time of 20 mins 33.98 secs.

In the women’s 1500 metres final, Nuelie Yarigo of University of Abomey, Benin Republic, coasted home ahead of Nigeria’s Esther Asamu.

Yarigo won the gold in 4 mins 48.17 sec, while Asamu, who competed for Lead City University, Ibadan, won the silver win a time of 5 mins 01.15 secs.

Jumoke Oribamise of Ekiti State University won the bronze medal after 5 mins 18.34 secs.

The men’s version of the one mile race saw Tom Alaga of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, winning the gold medal.

He recorded a time of 4 mins 25.16 secs, ahead of Austeen Ibileke of host University of Ilorin who had a time of 4 mins 29.14 secs.

Lambert Coulibaly of Burkina Faso’s Universite Polytechnique Du Bobo Doularosa (UPB) claimed the bronze medal with 4 mins 40.84 secs.