By Victor Kanayo
The 13th edition of the African Games has finally come to an end after two weeks of intense action in 29 different sports (competitive and trial versions) with Egypt emerging overall winners in spectacular fashion.
The north African giants became the first to hit a 100 gold medal mark in the 59-year history of the games which featured 2,644 athletes from 53 countries that jostled for honours in 242 events in Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast.
Pharaohs’ New Feat
In doing so, Egypt amassed 101 gold medals, 54 more than that of the second placed Nigeria.
The biggest star of the Egyptian team was swimmer Marwan Elkamash, who won five gold medals in the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x200m relays, all in freestyle.
But his medal haul is still short of his compatriot, Faten Afifi, who fished out seven gold medals from the pool.
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Egypt nearly took off South Africa, traditionally known for their dominance in swimming with the former topping gold medals’ chart with just two shy of the Pharaohs at the Games.
Closing Rendezvous
At last, the events ended with a parade of all the participating countries’ flags while music from Nigerian hip-hop star Tiwa Savage was played from the sound system much to the delight of the crowd.
On the final day of the competition, perennial champions Egypt claimed two more gold to take their gold medal to 101 to once again claim the top spot at the continental sports showpiece event.
The 13th edition of the African Games, which officially began March 8, will be remembered for sporting excellence.
Top 10 Positions
In the second place, Nigeria finished with 47 gold, 33 silver and 40 bronze to claim a total of 120 medals.
South Africa occupied the third spot with 106 medals – 32 gold, 32 silver and 42 bronze as Algeria ranked the fourth best country at the event in Ghana with 114 medals – 29 gold, 38 silver and 47 bronze.
Tunisia completed the Top five with 87 medals – 21 gold, 27 silver and 39 bronze, while Ghana, despite a poor start to the event, finished in sixth position with 19 gold, 29 silver and 20 bronze medals.
Morocco, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Kenya made up the Top 10 spots in that order.
Dominant Sports
In athletics, Nigeria finished top with 11 gold medals, six silver and five bronze, followed by Ethiopia with seven gold, seven silver and four bronze. South Africa, Kenya and host Ghana came third, fourth and fifth with seven gold, six gold and three gold medals respectively.
The north Africans couldn’t get better results in athletics as Algeria and Morocco managed three gold medals between both nations.
It was the Nigeria’s fourth best-ever performance in the history of the African Games.
The likes of Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi retained their titles in the women’s 100m hurdles, women’s long jump and men’s shot-put events, respectively.
In the men’s 400m, Chidi Okezie made history as the first Nigerian to win gold in the event in 37 years.
The likes of Ruth Usoro, Pamela Obiageri, and Amaechi Chinecherem Nnamdi, also won gold in their different athletics events.
Nigeria achieved her best-ever performance in the athletics event at the African Games in 1995 when the athletes won total of 32 medals made up of 15 gold, nine silver and eight bronze.
In boxing, Team Nigeria showcased exceptional prowess in the ring by hauling a commanding eight gold medals out of 10 finals in the various weight categories.
While the women landed five gold medals, the men got three gold medals.
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).
For the men, the three gold medal winners are Ifeanyi Onyekwere (92+kg), Adams Olaore (92kg) and Omole Dolapo- (57kg).
The only silver medal winners in boxing are Shukura Kareem (54kg) and Zainab Adeshina (50kg).
Nigeria also showed class in Wrestling, Badminton, Weightlifting and few others, but as usual couldn’t prove strong in swimming.
In Football, it turned out a glorious weekend for Ghana football at the Games as they became the first to win the men and women’s gold medals in one edition.
While the women’s team beat Nigeria 2-1 to win the gold on Thursday’s night, the men followed by beating Uganda 1-0 in Friday night’s final match at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Jerry Afriyie emerged as the hero for the Black Satellites, scoring the decisive goal in the final match witnessed by a capacity crowd.
Nigeria had the opportunity to achieve the feat twice but failed at the 2003 and 2019 editions in Abuja and Rabat respectively.
In 2003, while the Falcons were victorious, the men’s team, the U-23 failed in the final match against Cameroon. In 2019 in Rabat, the women’s team again won, but the men crumbled in the final match against Burkina Faso.
Since the 1973 edition in Lagos in which Nigeria won their first ever continental football title, the gold medal of the men’s football has been elusive to the country. At Accra 2023, they could not even navigate their way out of the group stage.
Attention To 2027/14th Edition
Symbolically, Egypt was handed the host of 2027 version of the African Games during the closing ceremony of the 13th edition on Saturday in Accra, Ghana by the African Union (AU), organisers of the continent’s biggest sporting competition.
Meaning, the attention of all African nations has now been shifted to the future of fiesta.
Day after the closing ceremony of the Ghana 2023, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has already blown the whistle of what should be expected of team Nigeria moving on.
The Minister speaking frankly in personally signed statement, made available to Heritage Times (HT) said, “…preparations for the 14th African Games built to hold in Egypt starts now. As your Sports Development Minister, dubbed Nigeria’s Games Master General, I sure will be with you all the way.
“Without prejudice to the comprehensive audit and thorough evaluation of our overall performance at the games which will soon be carried out under my guidance and leadership, the time has come for our country to spend as much, if not more, as it does for competitions in development and preparation, if we ever hope to get atop the medals table which we have only achieved once in 2003 when the country hosted the Games.”
“Efforts will be made to continue to consolidate on those sports we have earned the greatest laurels while also interrogating the ones, as a country we are naturally endowed but which we continue to perform poorly,such as swimming. This is the only way we can blunt the gap between us and our main rival as we envision and implement a masterplan that will propel us to the sporting summit on the continent.”
Reward For Winning Athletes, Coaches
Already, team Nigeria athletes and officials are smiling to the bank with the approval of winning bonuses accrued to individuals and teams with medals in their kitty.
According to payment details obtained by Heritage Times (HT), individual gold, silver and bronze medallists will receive $3000, $2000 and $1000 respectively, while doubles gold, silver and bronze winners are entitled to $5000, $3000 and $1500 respectively.
Also, gold, silver and bronze medallists in team sports of up to six athletes are to get $6000, $4000 and $3000 respectively.
Gold, silver and bronze medallists in team sports with 12 athletes and above will go home with $12000, $7000 and $5000.
Coaches whose athletes or teams won gold, silver and bronze medals were rewarded with $5000, $2500 and $1500 respectively.
Meanwhile, contigents from all participating countries, including Nigeria on Sunday returned to their bases.
