Nigeria Wins 11 Athletics Medals at African Youth Games

Team Nigeria produced a dominant display in athletics at the 4th African Youth Games in Angola, closing the competition with an impressive haul of 11 medals to underline the country’s growing strength in youth track and field.

As athletics events concluded on Saturday, the Nigerian contingent topped its campaign with six gold and five silver medals, emerging as one of the standout teams on the track. The strong showing reinforced Nigeria’s reputation as a powerhouse in sprinting, relays and selected field events at the youth level.

Nigeria’s sprint dominance was evident in the 100 metres, where Rosemary Chigozie Nwakwo delivered a commanding performance to win gold in the girls’ race. Nwakwo clocked 11.77 seconds to finish ahead of South Africa’s Oluchi Ndubueze, who settled for silver in 12.12 seconds, while Morocco’s Maria Saadi claimed bronze in 12.27 seconds. The victory marked a major highlight for Team Nigeria in the blue-riband event.

In the boys’ 100 metres final, Emmanuel Akolo continued Nigeria’s medal run by winning silver with a time of 10.76 seconds. He finished behind South Africa’s Micah Africa, who claimed gold in 10.67 seconds, as Nigeria once again featured prominently on the podium.

The quarter-mile events provided further success for the Nigerian team. Hafsoh Bisola Majekodunmi was in outstanding form in the girls’ 400 metres, powering to gold in 55.16 seconds. She finished well clear of Ethiopia’s Desta Kurni and Congo’s Maguerita Athouaby, showcasing strength and composure over the one-lap distance.

In the boys’ 400 metres, David Udoh produced a spirited performance to earn silver, stopping the clock at 47.77 seconds. He was narrowly beaten by South Africa’s Fairlie Jaydon in a closely contested final.

Nigeria’s success extended beyond the track into the field events. Timothy continued the golden run by clinching gold in the boys’ triple jump, adding depth to the nation’s medal tally. In the boys’ long jump, Godswill Anelechi Nkemakolam secured silver with a best leap of 7.18 metres, finishing behind South Africa’s Jayden Fourie.

The hurdles and half-lap sprint events also yielded medals for Team Nigeria. Gift Gowon claimed silver in the boys’ 400 metres hurdles, while Tejiri Ugoh struck gold in the girls’ 200 metres with a winning time of 23.95 seconds. Ugoh finished ahead of South Africa’s Isabella Gunter and Gambia’s Njie Adama in a high-quality race.

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In the boys’ 200 metres, Perfect Faye added another silver to Nigeria’s tally, clocking a season’s best 21.47 seconds to confirm his strong form at the continental stage.

The relay events provided a fitting finale to Nigeria’s athletics campaign. The girls’ medley relay quartet of Miriam Jegede, Miracle Oluebube, Faith Ezechukwu and Jacinter Lawrence combined seamlessly to win gold. Moments later, the boys’ medley relay team of Gift Gowon, Emmanuel Akolo, David Udoh and Tosin Solomon Essan matched the feat, securing gold to cap a memorable outing.

Nigeria’s 11-medal haul at the athletics competition underscored the depth of talent within the country’s youth ranks and provided a strong foundation for future continental and global competitions.