Because the thirteenth African Video games formally begins on Friday (at present) in Ghana, consideration can be on Staff Nigeria to proceed their spectacular efficiency among the many 53 international locations on the Video games, having featured in all of the editions since its inception in 1965, The PUNCH reviews.
The 2023 Video games maintain in Ghana until March 23 throughout three cities Accra, Cape Coast and Kumasi.
For this yr’s version, there are 358 Nigerian athletes vying for medals in 25 sports activities among the many 23 most important occasions and 7 demonstration sports activities in Ghana. A few of the occasions, resembling athletics, badminton, biking, boxing, swimming, desk tennis and triathlon will function qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games.
Occasions like desk tennis, badminton, cricket and soccer began earlier than at present’s opening ceremony.
Within the historical past of the Video games, Nigeria has often impressed and are second within the total medals desk behind Egypt with 1,326 medals comprising 470 gold, 428 silver in addition to 428 bronze and expectations are excessive about sustaining the momentum in Ghana.
Former Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Phemmy Adetula, is assured that the contingent is not going to disappoint Nigerians.
“Our space of energy has been athletics, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and even desk tennis. So, this version is not going to be an exception. I hoped Edem and Aruna Quadri would win the singles titles within the desk tennis occasion however that continues to be one of many areas Egypt often dominate on the Video games. So, to be able to beat them in future Video games, we’ve got to construct sports activities like fencing, the place they pack medals,” Adetula mentioned.
“I additionally like what the AFN is doing by going with some home-based athletes and I don’t assume that may hinder their possibilities. We have now African champions and world champions and that is how we will additionally take a look at the energy of the upcoming ones.”
Nigerian feminine wrestlers, Blessing Oborududu and Odunayo Adekuoroye are additionally a number of the favourites to proceed their dominance on the continent and they’re joined by two debutants as Nigeria hopes to do a clear sweep of medals in feminine wrestling.
“We nonetheless have the African Championships and different 2024 Olympic Video games qualifying sequence arising after this, so, we’re additionally utilizing the African Video games to measure up whereas we hope to do higher than our earlier outings. In actual fact, we wish to do six over six. This time round we’ve got two debutants in Esther Kolawole and Christianah Ogunsanya,” feminine wrestling coach Purity Akuh advised The PUNCH.
Cricket is among the sports activities debuting on the Video games, with Nigeria’s female and male groups in competition for a 2028 Olympic Video games spot.
President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, additionally expects the groups to scale their daunting checks in opposition to a number of the finest groups on the continent on the Video games.
“We’re very optimistic about our possibilities. Regardless of what occurs on the Video games in Accra, we fancy the truth that in simply a short time, our two nationwide groups are ranked nicely sufficient to advantage the place on the continental occasion. I can even let you know that we’re not going to make up numbers, we’ve got what it takes to make a press release and even win medals,” Akpata advised The PUNCH.
On the first version in 1965 in Congo Brazzaville, Nigeria completed second with a complete of 19 medals behind the then United Arab Republic. On the final version in Morocco, the nation additionally completed second behind Egypt with 127 medals altogether (46 gold, 33 silver and 48 bronze).
