Team Nigeria finished third despite the absence of some of its top-tier competitors.
Sunday in Mauritius marked the conclusion of the 22nd edition of the African Senior Athletics Championship. Team Nigeria finished third in the final medal tally.
Nigeria, who won five gold, three silver, and three bronze medals, placed third behind Kenya and South Africa, who each won ten gold medals.
With the gold medal he earned on the final day of the men’s Shot Put competition, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi ensured that Nigeria finished ahead of Algeria in fourth position.
In the men’s Shot Put, Enekwechi established a Championship record of 21.20 meters, surpassing his previous record of 21.08 meters achieved in Asaba four years earlier.
This is the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist’s third continental GOLD, as he has utterly dominated the competition in Africa since making his debut for Nigeria in 2017.
Kyle Blignaut of South Africa (20.60m) and Mohamed Magdy of Egypt (20.33m) won Silver and Bronze, respectively, while Dotun Ogundeji of Nigeria finished fourth with a throw of 19.11m.
Also on the final day of competition in Mauritius, Team Nigeria earned bronze in the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.
Deborah Oke, Queen Usunobun, Ella, and Patience Okon form a quartet. George edged over Botswana for third place, while Johnson Nnamani, Chidi Okezie, Adeyemi Sikiru, and Emmanuel Ojeli won bronze in the men’s division.
Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, commended Team Nigeria’s performance at the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championships in Mauritius.
The minister stated that despite the absence of several of her top-tier athletes, Nigeria still performed admirably at the competition, demonstrating her depth in both track and field events.
Dare stated that the performance of the athletes demonstrates the optimistic outlook of Nigerian athletes as well as their battling spirit, which enables them to succeed despite all odds and survive in the most challenging and unfavorable environment.
“Despite the absence of some of our top-tier athletes who were unable to travel to Mauritius, Team Nigeria fought valiantly and defended our colors with distinction. We are just incredibly proud of them,” stated the minister.
