Nigeria wins First medal at Durban, 2016

Stephen Mozia has given Nigeria their first medal of the  2016 CAA Senior African Athletics Championships in Durban, South Africa.

Mozia won bronze with a mark of 19.84m in the men’s shot put event on Wednesday, which was the first day of the competition. The Championships will end on June 26.

South Africa’s Engelbrecht Jaco won gold with a throw of 20.00m while Congo’s Elemba-Owaka Franck-Dannique placed second with a throw of 19.89m. Another Nigerian, Efekoro  Ogheneakpobo, placed fourth after throwing 19.57m.

Others in the top 10 of the 12-man event are  South Africa’s Cremona Orazio with 19.00m, Egypt’s Mohamed Khalifa with 17.98m, Togo’s Adantor Yao with 17.79m, South Africa’s Lambrechts Burger with 16.71m, Mauritius’ Baptiste Bernard with 14.58m and Ethiopia’s Lencha Zegeye-Moga.

However, Nigeria’s sole representative in the 100m hurdles, Toyin Augustus, failed to qualify for the final  after she finished fifth in heat 2. The 36-year-old stumbled on the sixth hurdle to finish in 14.19secs.

Also, Nigeria was not represented in the men’s 100m after Divine Oduduru, who was listed in the start list of heat 4, failed to take part in the event.

Other Nigerians were in action on the first day of the competition in men’s and women’s 400m and also the women’s 100m. Patience George and Regina George both qualified for the semifinals of the women’s 400m. Patience finished first in heat 1 in 51.84secs ahead of Regina, who finished in 52.67secs. Yinka Ajayi also qualified for the semifinals after finishing third in heat 3 with a time of 53.32secs.

In the men’s 400m, Chidi Okezie finished second in heat 2 in 46.30secs to qualify for the semifinals while Eraiyokan Orukpe finished third in heat 3 with a time of 46.71secs to also make the semifinals, which will hold on Thursday. Nigeria’s Taylor Tubotein, who finished fifth in the heat 3 with 46.93secs, failed to make the semis.

In the women’s 100m, Gloria Asumnu qualified for Thursday’s final after finishing second in heat three with a time of 11.51secs. Nigeria’s other representative, Agnes Osazuwa, finished fifth in heat two with a time of 11.59secs.

Nigeria presented  25 athletes at the competition. Blessing Okagbare, Mary Bamgbose, Adekunle Fasasi are not in Durban.

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