Teen sprinters, Miracle Ezechukwu and Rosemary Chigozie Nwankwo, headlined Team Nigeria’s outstanding performance on Day 4 of athletics events at the ongoing inaugural African School Games in Algeria, as the nation clinched six medals, two gold and four silver, across various track and field competitions.
Both athletes showed dominance and consistency, swapping podium spots in the 100m and 200m finals. Ezechukwu took centre stage in the Girls’ 200m Final, storming to gold, while Nwankwo claimed the silver.
Earlier in the week, the roles were reversed in the 100m final, with Nwankwo grabbing gold and Ezechukwu finishing just behind her for silver, confirming the pair as a force to reckon with on the African school athletics scene.
Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, who was present in Algeria to witness the performances, said he was filled with pride watching the athletes. He described their outing as a clear sign that Nigeria’s youth sports development efforts are moving in the right direction.
“I came to Algeria to support these young athletes as the future of Nigerian sports, so I need to be here to encourage them,” he said.
“A lot of these athletes are a product of our Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative and they’ve continued to grow steadily, making the IJA initiative a success story we are proud of,” he said.
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Perfect Faye added to the medal tally with a silver medal finish in the Boys’ 200m Final, capping off a gritty individual performance. In the field events, Mohammed Jimoh soared high to clinch silver in the Boys’ High Jump, signaling Nigeria’s growing potential beyond the tracks.
Also, the Girls’ Medley Relay Team, featuring Ezechukwu, Nwankwo, Eniololobo Rebecca, and Jecinter Lawrence Andrew, won a gold medal. The blend of speed, coordination, and synergy underlined the depth of the squad.
On the boys’ side, the quartet of Emmanuel Akolo, Jimoh, Faye, and Jesulayomi Ogundijo fought hard to secure the silver medal in their relay event, rounding off what many have called a highly promising display by Nigeria’s school athletes.
Olopade maintained that the medals are only the beginning of greater things to come.
“This is just a glimpse of what is possible if we remain committed to grooming talents from the grassroots, these young ones have shown hunger, discipline, and potential. We must continue to support them,” he said.
