Nigeria’s contingent at the ongoing African Youth Games (AYG) holding in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital has bagged three gold medals and one bronze.
The contingent began their campaign impressively with football when the Nigeria’s U- 15 men team defeated host team 2-0 in their opening match on Friday before following it up with a scoreless draw against West African rivals, Mali the following day. But their amazing performance was recorded in weightlifting event when Chika Joy Amalaha won gold 58kg with a new African record in the competition. She lifted 87kg in the snatch to set the new record and also created another African record in the same category by lifted 102kg in the clean and jack category.
Emmanuel Inemo Appah continued from where Amalaha stopped as he also won the second gold for Nigeria in the 56kg in men weightlifting event.
Nigeria’s representatives in team badminton event first defeated Egypt 3-0 and followed it up with another 3-1 impressive win over South Africa to win the gold medal of the event. Nigeria had also spanked host Botswana 5-0 and Mauritania 3-0 in the quarterfinals stage to move to the semi-finals of the event.
Nigeria also qualified for the final of the boys’ table tennis event which was also decided yesterday night while the girls won the bronze medal of the girls event.
In Judo Nigeria’s girls bow out in the semi-finals in the category 55-66kg while the boys lost out in the first round.
In Rowing team Nigeria’s representatives in the girl single sculls event were disqualified while the Nigerian boys qualified for final.
In Volleyball boys event, Nigeria defeated host Botswana 3-1 to kick start the event on a bright note.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon was selected with the number one pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, becoming the first African player selected first overall. His playing highlights include: 12-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Champion (1994, ‘95), NBA Most Valuable Player (’94), and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (’93, ’94). He is the only player in league history to be named MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (1993-94).
The NBA has a long history in Africa with more than 30 players from the continent playing in the league since 1984. Basketball without Borders Africa has been held 11 times on the continent and the league opened its African office in Johannesburg in 2010.
Since 2003, the NBA has worked with community-based organizations to create 38 places to live, learn or play in Africa, including youth hostels, kitchens, sports complexes, health facilities, Habitat for Humanity homes, and basketball courts in Angola, Botswana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, Cameroon, South Sudan, and South Africa.
