Nigeria’s athletes have made a strong showing at the 23rd African Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon, securing multiple medals across various events.
Sade Olatoye clinched a silver medal in the women’s hammer event with a throw of 67.72m. Although unable to defend her title, Olatoye continues to solidify her position as one of Africa’s premier hammer throwers.
In the mixed 4x400m relay, the Nigerian quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Dubem Nwachukwu, and Patience Okon-George claimed silver with a time of 3:13.72 seconds. They finished behind South Africa (3:13.12) and ahead of Botswana (3:15.93).
Goodness Iredia, making his international debut, secured bronze in the men’s Long Jump final with a leap of 7.75m. His compatriot, Emmanuel Njoku, narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth with 7.72m. Namibia’s Lionel Coetzee took gold with a jump of 7.78m.
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The championships also mark a significant moment for Nigeria in the men’s 400m event. For the first time since the late 1990s, three Nigerian athletes – Chidi Okezie, Samuel Ogazi, and Dubem Nwachukwu – have qualified for the final. They aim to bring home Nigeria’s first gold in this event since Clement Chukwu’s victory in 1998.
Okezie, fresh from breaking Nigeria’s 36-year gold medal drought in the 400m at the African Games, is a strong contender. Eighteen-year-old Ogazi has also shown promise, having run sub-44.60 seconds three times in the past month.
In the men’s shot put event, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi was the only athlete present at the medal ceremony, with his Egyptian silver and bronze medalists absent.
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