By Aderonke Ojo
Nigeria made a bright start to its campaign at the 2022 African Track Cycling Championship in Abuja by bagging three medals on the opening day of competition on Thursday in Abuja.
The Championship, which kicked-off on July 14 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, in Abuja, is expected to end on July 24.
The opening day of the Championship witnessed 10 finals out of which nine events were for the championship and one for ranking event.
Nigeria opened the championship with three medals from three different events out of nine events that held on day one.
Each country displayed wonderful performance in the championship holding at the Velodrome of the Stadium.
Team Nigerian secured one sliver and two bronze medals in the juniors event and were unable to have any medals in the men’s and women’s events.
The South Africa team, Amber Hindmarch, Anya Du plessis, Mia fortune and Jesse woods, won gold against Nigeria team of Ikeoluwa Ibrahim, Oluwatope Ajibade, Jessica Gambo and Effiong Otubong, which opened its tally with a silver medal in junior women’s 4km team pursuit event.
Other events also included the Men’s junior team pursuit category, team South Africa, Joshua Dike, Michael Jervis, Kleinsmit Jose and Ethan Kulsen, won gold; Morocco team won sliver with Mohammed Sanbouli, Achraf El Kurymy, Alae Aziki and Wassim Hoummady.
Algeria team won bronze with quad of Oussama Khelaf, Mounir Laloui, Achraf Amelia and Riad Bakhti, while Nigeria team came fifth in the event.
In Men junior team sprint category, South Africa recorded its first gold with the trio of Jordan September, Duwayne Adams and Matthew Lester, while Egypt won sliver with its trio Mahmoud Bakr, Sayed Elkadia and Mahmoud Elimbabi, and the trio of Nigeria, Udo-udo Emmanuel, Jude Obinna and Edidiong Sunday won bronze.
The juniors women’s team sprint event with the trio of South Africa, Amber Hindmarch, Anya Du plessis and Jesse woods, won gold against Nigeria trio, Oniovosa Udeh, Jessica Gambo and Elizabeth Oluwatope which won sliver.
In the men’s Elite team sprint event, with trio of Egpyt, Ahmed Saad, Ahmed Elsenfawar and Yousef Ahmed, won gold against team Algeria that won sliver with Elkhaoib Sassane, Mohammed Assal and Zaki Boudar.
South Africa won bronze with Carl Bonthuys, Johannes Myburgh and Jean Spies, while Nigeria finished fourth.
In the men’s Elite team pursuit event, Algeria claimed its gold with team of Chalel Mickhail, Elkhaoib Sassane, Zaki Boudar and Lotfi Tchambaz, Morocco team won sliver with Mounir El Azhari, Achraf Ed-doghmy, Mohcine El kouraji and Youssef Bdadou.
Egypt team of Ahmed Saad, Abdalrhman Fahim, Ahmed Elsenfawai and Yousef Ahmed, claimed bronze while Nigeria finished fourth.
In the men’s junior scratch 10 km, 40 laps event, Kulsen Ethan of South Africa won gold, Mahmoud Bakr of Egypt won sliver and Algeria Mounir Laloui won bronze.
In the elite men’s scratch 15km, 60 laps event, Achraf Ed-Doghmy won gold for Morocco, Carl Bonthuys won sliver for South Africa and Abdalrhman Fahim won bronze for Egypt.
The elite women’s scratch 7.5 km, 30 laps event; Ebtissam Zayed of Egpyt won gold, both South Africa, Chante Oliver and Van Niek Danielle, won sliver and bronze, respectively.
In the ranking event, Team Nigeria with Lovina Ukpeseraye, Oyetayo Yekeen, Meelubari Coxson and Mary Samuel recorded 5.24.940 time in the women’s Elite team pursuit.
They were the only team that participated in the event.
There was also plenty to celebrate for South Africa team as it won a total of five gold, two sliver and two bronze on day one, followed by Egpyt team with two gold, two bronze and two sliver.
Algeria also had its country recorded one gold, two sliver and a bronze, while Nigeria, the host, had one sliver and two bronze, and Morocco one gold and two sliver.
Fifteen countries are participating in the Championship which has 11 different events: Sprint, team sprint, Time trials (1km/ 500m), Keirin, team pursuit, individual pursuit, Scratch, elimination, minimum, points race and Madison for women’s, men’s and junior categories.
Fifteen African countries are participating in the Championship, including Ghana, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Cote’d Ivoire, Togo, Guinea, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Botswana, Burundi, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Nigeria. (NAN)
