Dawn of a new era as African Games end

As the curtain falls on the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana on Saturday (today), a new generation of Nigerian athletes have stepped into the limelight, showcasing remarkable performances and pointing at a promising future for the country’s sports, PETER AKINBO writes

It is evident that Nigeria’s teeming sports-loving population will soon look forward to a passing of the baton from the likes of Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi to a new generation of athletes following the amazing performances of some youngsters at the African Games, which ends today in Ghana.

The up-and-coming athletes made their mark in various sports,thus sparking hopes of a bright future. Here, we take a look at the emerging talents, who shone in Ghana…

Obiageri Amaechi (Discus, 25)

In the discus throw, Amaechi, who just turned 25 just 11 days ago, struck gold as well as a personal best of 58.93m on her final throw in the discus women’s event.

Esther Joseph (400m, 20)

Joseph is a name we will not be forgetting anytime soon after she announced herself to the world in stunning fashion in her first major international championship for Nigeria.

She achieved three personal bests in all three races, proving that she was ready to compete among the best globally.

All her 400m races in Ghana have were sub-52secs, and she capped it off by clinching a silver medal in the women’s 400m final with an impressive 51.64secs.

Prestina Ochonogor (Long jump, 17)

At just 17, Ochonogor snatched bronze in the women’s long jump event, showcasing her talent and determination with a leap of 6.67m, a feat that promises a bright future ahead.

Going up against the woman whose shoes she would potentially be filling, Ese Brume, she held her own to win a medal while Brume expectedly claimed the gold.

Olayinka Olajide (100m, 200m, relays, 21)

Olajide’s remarkable debut at the African Games ended with her returning home with every colour of medal on display: gold, silver and bronze.

She clocked a personal best of 23.18secs (-2.6) to finish second and win a silver medal in the women’s 200m race, adding to her collection of medals that includes bronze in the women’s100m and gold in the 4x100m relays.

Consider Ekanem (100m, 200m, 19)

Fast-rising star who burst onto the scene in late 2023, Consider, at 19, claimed his first international medal.

He gave it his all in the men’s 200m final to claim a bronze medal, showcasing his potential as a rising star in athletics.

Mausi Zannu (Arm-wrestling, 22)

In a remarkable feat that etched her name on the pages of African sports history, Zannu secured arm-wrestling’s first-ever gold medal at the inaugural arm-wrestling competition at the Games.

Competing in the fiercely contested 55kg left-hand senior women’s event, Zannu displayed exceptional skill, strength and determination to clinch the coveted gold, marking a groundbreaking moment for Nigerian arm-wrestling.

Edidiong Umoafia (Weightlifting, 21)

Umoafia posted a dominant performance at the Games in Ghana, claiming three gold medals.

Umoafia, competing for the first time in the men’s 67kg category, swept the podium by winning gold in all three disciplines: snatch, clean & jerk, and total.

He showcased his impressive strength with a 135kg lift in the snatch and a 165kg lift in the clean & jerk, for a combined total of
300kg.

Ruth Ayodele (Weightlifting, 23)

Ayodele showcased her strength and skill in weightlifting by claiming three gold in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total categories, establishing herself as a rising star in the sport.

She lifted 94kg in snatch, 144kg in clean and jerk and a total of 208kg to claim all three gold at stake.

Joy Eze (Weightlifting, 19)

Teenager Eze, who is competing in her second African Games, moved up to a new weight category and become a champion in it. She was exceptional in her new 71kg category, claiming all the three gold medals by snatching 90kg, 117kg in clean and jerk and a total of 207.

Abayomi Adeyemi (Weightlifting, 21)

Adeyemi’s commendable performance in the men’s 106kg weightlifting category saw him secure three medals — bronze in the total (341kg) and snatch (151kg) category while he claimed silver in the clean & jerk (190kg), thus announcing himself as one to watch out for in the near future.

Esther Kolawole (Wrestling, 22)

Another African Games debutant, Kolawole is a rising star in the world of African wrestling at just 22.

Kolawole, who won the African Youth Games and the National Sports Festival gold medals in 2018, before claiming an African Wrestling Championships gold in 2020, has never shown signs of slowing down.

She also boasts a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2023 African Championships. Her gold medal win in the 62kg event in Ghana is definitely a first of many African Games gold medals to come.

Christianah Ogunsanya (Wrestling, 22)

Ogunsanya made her African Games debut in Ghana count as she clinched gold in the 53kg weight class.

Ogunsanya’s precision and strength have secured her a place among the elite female wrestlers and her gold medal achievement is a testament to her commitment and potential.

Stephen Izolo, Wrestling, 19

While the women all won gold, the men had to settle for silver and bronze and Stephen Izolo who was making his debut ensured he got the next best medal to gold.

Izolo made a determined run to the final and won his silver medal in the 65kg event following a 10-0 loss to Mourad Omar of Egypt.

Joy Ojo (Boxing, 22)

Ojo’s gold medal victory in boxing adds to Nigeria’s success at the African Games, an indication that women boxing is on the rise in the country following the heroic displays of other women boxers in Ghana.

The 22-year-old was dominant all through the competition and hardly put a punch wrong, beating all her opponents on the way to winning gold. She, however, won the final without a fight as she claimed a walkover win over Algerian Selmouni Chahira in the women’s 57kg category.

Dolapo Omole (Boxing, 24)

Already qualified for the Paris Olympics, Omole was a favourite before the competition started and he ensured he claimed two knockout wins on his run to the gold medal win.

He saved the best for last by securing a round one KO win against Armando Rugoberto of Mozambique in the men’s 57kg category to cement his status as a frontrunner for the next generation of Nigerian boxers.