Nigeria’s thrower Nnamdi Prosper Chinecherem rewrote the script of the African Games javelin after he beat defending champion Julius Yego with a throw of 82.80m to win the gold and also broke his own national record.
Chinecherem was third at the 2019 Games where Yego and Kenya compatriot Alexander Kiprotich stole the show.
But Chinecherem would have none of that at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, he pushed the 35 years Yego a.k.a Mr. YouTube to the second place. The former World Champion and Olympics silver medallist who holds the African record with 92. 72m came up with 81.74m to take second place, while Egypt’s Mahmood Abdel Khaliq was third worh 78.10m.
Samuel Kure Nigeria’s other thrower came fifth with 76.28m
Earlier in the events Olayinka Olajide tried so hard to stop Gambia’s Gina Bass from winning a sprint double.
Olayinka came out strong at home stretch but sadly her late rally fell short but clocked a 23.18 secs personal best to settle for silver while Bass ran 23.13secs for the gold. Natacha Ngoye won the bronze with 23.44secs.
In the men’s race Amoah Joseph of Ghana took the gold with 20.7Oseconds Emmanuel Itoungue of Cameroon 20.74 and Emmanuel Consider Ekanem was third with 20.80seconds.
The women’s 4x400m relay squad of Patience Okon-George, Brittany Ogunmokun, Omolara Omotosho and Esther Elo Joseph didn’t let up in their respective legs and delivered the gold with a time of 3.27.29 seconds.
Zambia was second with 3.31.85 a new national record.
It was not same sweet story for the men. Ifeanyi Ojeli, Sikiru Adeyemi, Samson Nathaniel and Chidi Okezie did their best to catch up after Zambia and Botswana have decided the race. Zambia set a new national record with a time of 2.59.12seconds, Botswana picked the silver with 2.59.32, while Nigeria hopped in at 3.01.84 secs.
Nigeria won a total of 11 gold to top the athletics table. At the 2019 Games the team won seven gold medals.
“We have done our work here and we are going to prepare our athletes for the Olympics.
“In June we will go the African Championships with mostly home based athletes,” Athletics Federation of Nigeria technical director Samuel Onikeku said.
