Team Nigeria has won three gold medals in the ongoing African Youth Games (AYG) holding in Gaborone, Botswana.
The Nigerian contingent started impressively in the football event when the Nigerian U-15 football team defeated host team 2-0 in Thursday’s opening Group A match before following it up with a goalless draw against Mali the next day
But the amazing performance was recorded by Nigeria’s Chika Joy Amalaha in the girls’ 58kg weightlifting. Amalaha won gold medal in her event and also created an African new record in the competition. In the 58kg category she lifted 87kg in the snatch to set new African record, some minutes later she set another African record as she lifted 102kg in the clean and jack category.
Emmanuel Inemo Appah won the second gold for Team Nigeria in the 56kg boys weightlifting event.
In badminton, Nigeria’s representatives in the team event of first defeated Egypt 3-0 and followed it up with another 3-1 impressive victory over South Africa to win the gold medal of the event. Nigeria had also spanked host Botswana 5-0 and Mauritania 3-0 in the quarter-final stage to move to the semi-final of the event.
Nigeria also qualified for the final of the boys’ table tennis event which was also decided yesterday night while the girls won the bronze medal of the girls’ table tennis event.
In Judo Nigerian girls lost in the semi-finals of the 55-66kg category while the boys also crashed out in the first round.
Also in the girls’ rowing single sculls event, Team Nigeria was disqualified while the Nigerian boys qualified for final B. In the volleyball boys’ event, Nigeria defeated host Botswana 3-1 to kick start the event on a bright note.
The games, which started last Thursday, would be rounded off on Saturday.
Source: Daily Trust
