Africa Games: Okagbare disqualified for false start

Nigeria lost the prospect of winning a medal in the Women’s 100m at the 12th Africa Games was dashed after two-time Commonwealth champion, Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor was disqualified in the semi-final for a false start on Monday at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, venue of the track and field event of the ongoing Africa Games in Rabat Morocco.

SportingLife.ng reports that the Africa’s Queen of the Tracks had given the country hope after finishing with a time of 11.53s in heat 3 earlier in the day.

But the hope of 30- year-old winning her first gold medal in 100m event in her fourth appearance at the Africa Games went up in smoke after being disqualified in the heat 1 of the semi-final race for beating the gun.

Marie Ta Lou of Cote d’ Ivoire went on to win the race with a time of 11.36s and Kenya’s Ismali Maxmila finished second as both book their place in the final event of the Women’s 100m.

Nigeria will now bank on other athletes including Alphonsus Aniekeme, Udo-Gabriel, Abejoye Oyeniyi that will be competing in the final of their various events.

Joy Udo-Gabriel clocked 11.47s to win the heat 3 of the women’s 100m semi-final race ahead of South Africa’s Mamathu Tebogo (11.63s)

Nigeria will be parading two athletes Itsekiri Usheoritse Ese and Ekevwo Raymond in the final of the men’s 100m.

Itsekiri won the men’s 100m semi-final heat 2 with a time of 10.25s ahead of Ghana’s Azamati Kwaku (10.36s), while Ekevwo won in Heat 3 with a time of 10.26s, ahead of Ghana’s Safo-Antwi Sean (10.41).

Abejoye Oyeniyi will be competing in the men’s 110m Hurdles after finishing 3rd clocking a time of 13.93s in heat 1 of the semi-final on Monday. Burkina Faso’s Francois Mendy won the race in 13.70s and Algeria’s Amine Bouanani 2nd in 13.74s.