Two Games records in the field and Defar beats Dibaba at 5000m - African Games - Day ONE

Abuja, NigeriaThe athletics competition of the 8th All Africa Games  began yesterday in the National Stadium with Games records in the men’s Hammer and women's Shot Put. 

The day’s events began on a good note with early morning sunshine but the weather changed dramatically during the day and towards the end of the afternoon between 4 and 5pm, it rained heavily making competition difficult.

Home-girl Vivian Chukwuemeka the African record holder emerged as one of the early gold diggers for Nigeria as she won the women’s Shot Put with a new Games record of 18.12.

The 23 year-old South African Veronica Abrahamse won the silver with release of 15.77, and the Egyptian Esmail Wafaa the bronze medal.

Chukwuemeka, 28, has had a superb season highlighted by two Area records (18.43 PB), and had won the national title in Abuja on 18 July with 17.84m as a dress rehearsal for today’s competition.

South African Chris Harmse fourth round throw of 75.17m, in the men’s Hammer not only gave him the gold medal, it also brought the distinction of a new Games record. Tunisian Saber Souid won the silver with 70.81 and Algeria Samir Haouam threw 68.95 to win the bronze.

On the track Ethopian Meseret Defar, who is still only 19 years of age and has a personal best of 14:40.34, won the women’s 5000m in a relatively slow 16:42.00.

The World Indoor 3000m bronze medallist, and double World Junior distance gold medallist was just too good despite a sprint finish in which only just over second separated her from Uganda's Inzikuru Dorcus in second and Turunesh Dibaba, 18, the surprise World champion in Paris Saint-Denis, who was third in 16:43.40.

The early pace setters in the race, Kenyan Isabela Ochichi and Nigerian Christianna Augustine came fourth and eleventh respectively.

In the Men’s Triple Jump, pre-event favourite Andrew Owusu of Ghana was beaten into fourth place by Burundi’s Oliver Sanou who jumped 16.21 to win the gold medal. South Africa’s Khotso Mokoena was a close second just one centimetre behind, while Senegal’s Ndiss Kaba Badji jumped 16.18 to take the bronze.
 
Meanwhile, the finals of the men’s and women’s 100m on the second day of competition will rekindle the age long track rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana.

The competition dates back to 1973 when Nigeria first hosted the All Africa games in Lagos. Ghana’s Ohene Karikari and Alice Annum won the men’s and the women’s 100m on that occasion.

At the following Games in El Djezair (Algiers) in 1978, Nigeria’s Peter Okodogbe won the silver, while Karakari took the bronze. In that year Ghana's Hannah Afriyie, beat Nigeria's Utifon Ufon Oko and Sangodeyi Kemi to the women's 100m gold medal.

Continuing these national 'head to heads' at the Nairobi celebrations of the Games in 1987 Chidi Imoh of Nigeria won the men’s gold, while Tina Iheagwam also of Nigeria won the women’s dash.

Frank Fredericks of Namibia spoilt the party for both countries in 1991 with a sprint double.But Nigeria's David Ezinwa took the 1995 100m title for Nigeria, while in both 1991 and 1995 Mary Onyali was supreme in the women’s sprint.

During these Games - Cairo'91 and Harare'95 - Ghanaian sprinters were not visible but in Johannesburg '99 Leonard Myles-Mills brought Ghana honours again, with a 9.99 second clocking to beat favourite Francis Obikwelu of Nigeria (now Portugal) to the men’s 100m sprint.

This year in Abuja, it is only the Ghanaians who look to have what it takes to stop Nigerian sprinters from winning the men’s and women’s dash.

Nigeria’s Mary Onyali, opened her Abuja 2003 account with 11.18 to win her heat, and a 11.24 semi to make the final, and was followed home by country woman Endurance Ojokolo (11.16 and 11.33). It is only Ghana’s Vidal Annim who seems to pose any threat to a home triumph.

Deji Aliu and Uchenna Emedolu, both finalists at the World championships, are the favourites for the men’s prize too, even though defending champion Myles -Mills and his Ghanaian compatriots Eric Nkansak and Aziz Zakari bring to the final a rich seam of sprinting talent.