Team Nigeria’s best moments at 2023 African Games

The 13th African Games, hosted by Ghana, saw over 50 countries competing for laurels with serial winners Egypt clinching the title after earning a record 102 gold medals.

Apart from Egypt’s record number of gold medals, Team Nigeria had a fantastic performance, finishing in second position after amassing 47 gold, 34 silver and 40 bronze medals for a total of 121 medals, nearly replicating the accomplishment achieved during the 12th edition of the games in Rabat, Morocco, in 2019.

Without a doubt, Team Nigeria’s achievement, particularly in an Olympic Games year, has demonstrated that there is hope for the country in terms of medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, particularly after competing in 25 events.

Before the official opening ceremony, Team Nigeria, specifically the table tennis team, had started the competition on a low note, failing to match their performance five years earlier when the team won two gold, four silver, and four bronze medals for a total of ten medals.

However, Nigeria’s fortunes improved with the success of other sports, beginning with badminton, wrestling, and weightlifting.

When sports like wrestling, weightlifting, athletics and boxing took the centre stage, Nigeria made a huge mark at the games as new records were set while breaking long-standing records.

Therefore, as the dust is yet to settle, Trust Sports highlights the most memorable moments for Team Nigeria at the 13th African Games which was held in Accra from March 8 to 23.

4×400 mixed relay heroics and athletics’ dominance

Omolara Ogunmakinju was the name on everyone’s lips at the University of Ghana, Legon, the venue of the game’s athletics event, after anchoring Team Nigeria’s 4x400m mixed relay and 4x400m ladies relay to victory.

Ogunmakinju dragged Nigeria back from the dead to win gold after running the race of her life to not only reduce the distance between Nigeria and Botswana but also pass a Botswana rival on the final stretch, sending the entire stadium into frenzy. The mother of two didn’t stop there as she went on to win another gold in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Nigeria extended her dominance in athletics after finishing top on the final medal standing with 21 medals – 11 gold, six silver and four bronze.

The women’s 4x400m quartet (Esther Elo Joseph, Patience Okon George, Brittany Ogunmoku, and Omolara Ogunmankinju) had no competition as they were chasing against the clock. They got the baton round in a Seasons Best (SB) of 3:27.29s to win the gold ahead of Zambia (3:31.85) and Botswana (3:33.44) just as the men’s 4x400m (Emmanuel, Ojeli, Samson Nathaniel, Sikiru Adeyemi, and Chidi Okezie) clocked Nigeria’s fastest time in the event in two decades to claim the Bronze with a time of 3:01.84 behind Zambia (2:59.12) and Botswana (2:59.33).

Interestingly, Chidi Okezie also upgraded his bronze at the 2019 Games as he stormed to gold in the men’s 400m to become the first Nigerian man to win this title since the great Innocent Egbunike in 1987.

Okezie had not run a 400m race indoors or outdoors this season before the tournament. The African Games served as a season-opening, and he didn’t fail to make his mark known.

Okezie’s winning time is the fastest winning time at the African Games since Issac Makwala’s 44.35s at the Brazzaville Games in 2015. The time also sends him to number 10 on the all-time list of Nigerian male quarter milers.

Mention must be made of Olajide Olayinka who got a complete medal set at her first national assignment, after almost closing down on Gambia’s Gina Bass (23.13s) to take the silver in 23.18s. Olayinka is the only Nigerian athlete, male and female, to win three medals at the African Games after running in 100m, 200m and relays.

Another memorable moment for athletics was Nigeria’s victory in the men’s 4x100m relay, avenging their defeat to Ghana in 2019.

Oluwatobiloba Amusan, the world record holder in women’s 100m hurdles, won her third consecutive gold at the African Games, and inspired the women’s 4x100m relay team to win the gold medal.

Excellence in men’s javelin throw and shot put

Chinecherem Nnamdi Prosper won the men’s Javelin Throw with a Personal Best and National Record of 82.80m, making him the first Nigerian Javelin Thrower in 29 years to ever accomplish such a feat.

Reigning African Games Champion and Games Record Holder, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi retained his title from 5 years ago with a distinguishing mark of 21.06m, the only mark beyond 21 metres. This win now extends Enekwechi’s dominance on the Continental scene to six years.

Female wrestlers’ clean sweep of gold medals

It was total domination for Nigeria women in wrestling as all the six athletes registered for their various categories all won gold starting from Odunayo Adekuoroye, Blessing Oborududu, Mercy Genesis, Hannah Reuben, Tolulope Ogunsanya and Esther Kolawole.

It will be recalled that Tolulope and Kolawole are both debutants at the Games. 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 while Tolulope clinched gold in the 53kg weight class.

9 weightlifting gold medals in one night

As the Games progressed, Team Nigeria began to show superiority in weightlifting as nine gold medals were won in one night. The nine medals were won in snatch, clean and jerk and total categories.

Umoafia Edidiong, the only male weightlifter that won a gold medal started the show in men’s 67kg. Competing for the first time in the men’s 67kg category, Edidiong 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 and jerk, for a combined total of 300kg.

Adijat Olarinoye, Rafiatu Lawal, Ruth Ayodele and Joy Eze all won three gold medals each while Mary Osijo won a gold and two silver medals. More interesting is Ayodele showcasing 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. Other weightlifters also contributed seven gold for a total of 16.

Boxers punched their ways to 8 gold medals

In a sudden resurgence, Nigerian boxers triumphed in their respective categories, winning eight of the ten finals for which they qualified. The men won three gold medals to the women’s five.

The five gold medalists for the women are Jacinta Umunnakwe (81kg), Blessing Oraekwe- women’s (70kg), Cynthia Ogunsemilore (60kg), Patricia Mbata (75kg), and Joy Nene Ojo (57kg).

The male boxers who finished with gold are Ifeanyi Onyekwere (92+kg), Adams Olaore (92kg) and Omole Dolapo- (57kg).

With these impressive performances and emergence of young and immensely talented athletes, it is expected that come Paris 2024, Team Nigeria will replicate one of their best Olympics outings which came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where Nigeria won two gold, one silver and three bronze medals.