Despite arriving a day before the start of the tournament, Team Nigeria put behind the travelling stress and made a winning start at the African U20 and U18 championship taking place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with two gold medals and a bronze on day one of the competition.
The Nigerian team with close to 100 athletes/officials, departed with 2 buses by road on a 20hrs journey to the tournament because the sports ministry refused to release funds.
In the U18 Men’s High Jump event, Best Erhire Omamuyovwi jumped 2.08m to win the gold medal and also recorded a new Personal Best from his previous record of 2.05m he jumped to win the bronze medal at the National Sports Festival in Abuja in December. Seychelles’ Joshua Onezime and Egypt’s Zyad Fabraka got the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Onaara Obamuwagum jumped a personal best of 12.78m to win the gold medal in the U20 women’s triple jump event, while Grace Oshiokpu jumped 11.87m to get the Bronze medal at the U18 women’s triple jump event which South Africa’s Nolwazi Mashaba won the gold medal and Boru Robe Sambate from Ethiopia got the silver medal.
In Wednesday’s events, Praise Oforku returned a time of 12.14s to win Heat 2 ahead of Charlize Eilerd of South Africa in the Girls’ 100m semis.
Anita Taviore was second in the Girls’ 100m semis Heat 1 while Nigeria’s Shedrack Akpeki dominated his 400m semis with a time of 47.31s.
Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke won the men’s 100m semifinals Heat 1 in 10.59s while Gershon Omubo and Alaba Akintola placed 3rd & 4th respectively in Heat 2. Luke Davids from South Africa won Heat 2 with a time of 10.55s.