2023 African Games: Team Nigeria athletes prepare for track finals on Tuesday
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Track events get underway at the 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana on Monday with team Nigeria athletes qualifying for the final of their various events.
Nigeria’s Mixed 4x400m team turned up at the University of Ghana Sports stadium, running an initial Games Record to qualify for the final on Tuesday.
The quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Patience Okon-George, Samson Nathaniel, and Omolara Ogunmankinju got round the baton to post a Season’s Best of 3:15.23.
Comfort James is also through to the final of women’s 800m, and she did it running an equal Personal Best of 2:05.11. Running in heat 3.
In the men’s category, Hamid Sambo gave it his all, finishing 6th in 1:51.28. Sambo had barely eaten anything all day, but he showed up and tried his best for his country.
Consider Ekanem made a strong case and push for the podium in men’s 100m, and after winning his semifinal heat to qualify for the final at the African Games 2023.
Ekanem was a clear winner in heat 2 of the men’s 100m semis, beating Ghana’s Barnabas Aggerh to win in a time of 10.37s (-0.7)
It was the first African Games, the first 100m final for Olayinka Olajide who became the first Nigerian athlete to qualify for the final of her event in Athletics at the African Games 2023. Olajide got to the line in a time of 11.46s (-1.5), getting the qualification needed to secure a place in the final.
Adewale Adeyemi Sikiru is the 3rd Nigerian athlete through to the semifinals of men’s 400m, going through with an automatic qualification.
Sikiru earned his spot in the next round, finishing 3rd in a time of 46.72s, and will now be competing in his first continental individual semifinal race.
Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie only arrived in Ghana few hours and was out on the track competing in the men’s 400m heats.
Okezie was the second fastest overall in the men’s 400m, posting a Season’s Best of 45.89s to win heat 2 and booking his place in the semifinals.
Dubem Nwachukwu in the 400m heat didn’t want to give too much in the race; all that mattered was qualification into the semifinals.
Nigeria’s Esther Elo Joseph was the fastest woman in the five 400m heats at the African Games 2023 and she ran the race of her life, posting a Lifetime’s Best of 51.81s.
Esther Elo had shown signs of what was coming, clocking a then Personal Best (PB) of 52.00s last month at the MTN African Games trials in Asaba.
Wisdom Great Musa got a big Q in his 110m Hurdles race, finishing 3rd in his heat to secure automatic qualification into the final with a time of 14.35s (-1.1).
This is Musa’s first outing for Nigeria, and he is now continuing in the Nigerian tradition of having an athlete in the final of men’s 110m Hurdles, taking over from Abejoye Oyeniyi.
National Champion Usheoritse Itsekiri schooled the field in the third semifinal of the 100m in Ghana, clocking a time of 10.29s for a thorough victory.
Sunday Israel Okon missed out, having finished 3rd in semifinal 2 with 10.47s.
Olajide Olayinka and Justina Eyakpobeyan have qualified for the women’s 100m final at the African Games.
Congo’s Natacha Akamabi thought she had the win in the first semifinal, but Olayinka came flashing past her in the final 20 metres.
Justina Eyakpobeyan led from start to finish in her heat, clocking 11.61s.