By Mike Oboh, Zaria
Nigeria takes the lead in the race for the medal hauls at the ongoing Confederation of African Athletics Region II championship on Saturday with three gold medals in her kits.
Though Ghana picked the first male and female gold medals of the mini marathon race in the early hours of the day, Nigeria through the efforts of Salisu Habibu and Veriola Umar in the 800 metres race for men and women canceled out their lead as the country took the first spots in the two categories.
Prosper Ekporere superlative performance in the 110 metres men hurdles event with a time of 14.26seconds, to pick the third gold medals for Nigeria to take the lead in the race for the top spot on the log.
In the marathon race for men, William Amponsah with a time of 1.05.09seconds took the first spot to pick the gold medal; Nigeria’s Adamu Shehu Muazu picked the silver with 1.5.42seconds and Abdoulayer Soolex won the bronze medal. In the female race, Sakut Julians Lariba from Ghana got the gold medal with a time of 1.12.40seconds, Vero Yohana of Nigria picked the silver with a time of 1.22.01seconds and the bronze medal went to Offor Mary Moses of Nigeria who ran 1.27.37seconds.
Other winners included Nigeria’s Seun Ibrahim who ran 2.05.29seconds and Liberia’s Jonathan Osmah timing of 2.05.31 seconds to pick the silver and bronze medals in the 800metres event.
In the women 800metres event, Chamsiya Yahaya of Nigeria got the silver with the time of 2.34.16 seconds and the bronze went to Niger Republic Mariama Ibrahim with a time of 2.34.13seconds.
In the 110 metres hurdle won by Prosper, Benin Republic’s Lore Yacuoba with a time of 15.04seconds and Senegal’s Samir Junior Dieldhoury with a 15.28seconds won the silver and bronze respectively.
Speaking on the marathon race, former Nigeria champions in the marathon events in Nigeria, Lt Col Abbas Mohammed and Yohana Waziri in separate interviews blame the country lost of the top spots in the race to lack of experience by the Nigerian athletes who had the chance to sweep the stakes in the events.
Mohammed was of the view that the athletes would have won if they had put their acts together during the race, saying lack of focus was their greatest undoing.
On his part, Waziri said though much needed to be done to place the country in the forefront of the event at the continental level, the athletes must be ready to learn fast.
They both agreed that the championship was a plus for the athletics in the country and expressed the hope the benefits associated with the development will be used to enhance the game in the country.
