NIGERIA SWEEPS GOLD IN ACCRA BUT RELAY TEAMS FALL SHORT OF TOKYO CUT-OFF
By: Gyang Dakwo
Nigeria’s athletes sparkled at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Region II Championships in Accra, Ghana, as they swept gold medals in the relays and sprints, yet their joy was tempered by the fact that none of the relay teams met the cut-off mark for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
The result leaves the Athletics Federation of Nigeria with a race against time to secure another event before the qualification window closes on August 24. If that does not happen, the country could, for the first time since 1983, attend the World Championships without a single relay team.
On Tuesday in Accra, the men’s 4×400 metres squad of Victor Sampson, Ezekiel Asuquo, David Akhalu and Gafari Badmus ran 3 minutes 05.22 seconds, which was outside the required 2 minutes 59.12. Hosts Ghana followed in 3 minutes 06.34. The women’s 4×400 metres team of Favour Onyah, Patience Okon George, Anita Enaruna and Maria Thompson also fell short with 3 minutes 33.83 seconds. And although the men’s and women’s 4×100 metres teams struck gold, their times did not reach the standard needed for Tokyo.
Still, the championships were filled with highlights for Team Nigeria. Chioma Cynthia Nweke opened the medal rush with victory in the women’s 100 metres in 11.62 seconds. She later anchored the women’s 4×100 metres squad of Iyanuoluwa Bada, Maria Thompson and Olayinka Olajide to gold in 44.92 seconds ahead of Burkina Faso and Ghana. The men’s quartet of Chidera Ezeakor, Gafar Audu, James Taiwo Emmanuel and anchor Olaolu Olatunde also thrilled the crowd by winning the 4×100 metres in 39.74 seconds, a season’s best, just ahead of Ghana.
The individual races also went Nigeria’s way. Anita Itohan Enaruna smashed her personal best to win the women’s 200 metres in 23.91 seconds, while Maria Thompson settled for silver in 24.01 seconds. Olaolu Jason Olatunde grabbed gold in the men’s 100 metres with 10.60 seconds, narrowly beating Ghana’s Kevin Arthur who clocked 10.63 seconds.
In the men’s 400 metres, Gafari Badmus stormed to a lifetime best of 45.53 seconds to win gold, while Ezekiel Eno Asuquo followed with silver in 46.38 seconds. Ghana’s Mordecai Acheampong finished third in 46.63 seconds. To complete the sweep, Chidera Ezeakor ran a brilliant 20.77 seconds in the men’s 200 metres, denying Ghana yet another home win.
From the first gun to the final tape, Nigeria turned Accra into a theatre of golden glory, but the pursuit of tickets to Tokyo continues as the clock ticks towards the August 24 deadline.
