Chinazum Nwosu, the first Nigerian gold medalist at the ongoing 12th African Games in Morocco, says winning Nigeria’s first gold medal at the Games comes with excitement.
Chinazum told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Rabat that she was full of joy and had self-fulfillment winning the gold.
Nwosu defeated Oumaima El Bouchiti of Ivory Coast 26-22 in the -53kg women’s of the Taekwondo event.
She said that losing in the finals would have been disastrous since she won silver at the 2015 Games in Congo.
“I feel great, wonderful and short of words winning Nigeria’s first gold medal. The only thing in my head in the final was to get the gold medal because I have come a long way, trained so hard.
“My coaches also put in so much effort to make this dream come through for me and the country; I felt I had to win at the moment in the final, and winning I did,’’ she said.
“My coach told me that winning is an attitude and anything short of gold implies, I did not learn anything from my defeat at the last African Games,’’ she said.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCD) officer said that the coach’s motivational words were key to her success.
“My coach really motivated me. I lost in the final at the last African Games in Congo and getting to this point was work in progress. It was tough making a decision.
“I encouraged myself, my coach and teammates gave me the necessary support. I am glad the country’s first gold medal is coming from Taekwondo,’’ Nwosu said.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is currently 11th on the medals table with one gold and four bronze.
The country has won all its medals so far in taekwondo events of the Games.
Sunday Onofe (-87kg), Okuomose Benjamin +87kg, Elizabeth Anyanacho (-67kg) and Uzoamaka Otuadinma (-73kg) won bronze medals in the men and women’s taekwondo events. (NAN)