Team Nigeria won another gold medal on the final day of the Senior Athletics Championships in Accra Ghana, on Sunday night.
The quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence and Patient Okon-George ran a dominant race, clocking a time of 3:29.25 to secure gold medal in the 4×400m women relay.
The ladies dominated from start to finish leading their opponents with an unreachable distance to secure team Nigeria’s fourth gold of the championships.
The quartet led by veteran patient Okon-George won the race with a 30 metres distance ahead of other teams, leaving Ethiopia 2nd and Kenya in 3rd place.
Team Nigeria had an impressive outing at the 24th Senior Athletics Championships in Accra Ghana, ending with 4 golds and 8 other medals.
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Lombard gave the commendation in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos, ahead of the championships scheduled to hold in August. She expressed confidence in Nigeria’s ability to organize a world-class event, citing the country’s experience in hosting international fencing competitions. Lombard, an administrator, Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (FIE) referee and former Secretary-General of the FFSA, said she had witnessed the steady growth of fencing in Nigeria over the years.
“They have continued to grow and improve, so I expect it to be a quality event,” she said. According to her, the championships will provide an important platform for emerging athletes, especially those making their international debut. “We are hoping for a competitive event where some of our fencers will gain their first international experience in a positive environment.
“However, African fencing still faced challenges of recognition from established fencing nations. “Unfortunately, many leading fencing countries are still ignorant of the growth and potential of African fencing and fail to show up and see what we can do.
“This is in spite of the fact that Nigeria has successfully hosted international competitions in the past,” she said. She expressed optimism that the championships would further showcase Africa’s progress in fencing to the global community.
Lombard disclosed that South Africa planned to send a large delegation to Lagos, with veteran fencers particularly eager to participate in the tournament. While noting that winning medals remained important, she stressed that exposure and confidence-building for young athletes were top priorities. “I will admit that medals are always a plus, but we will have many new international fencers, so a positive experience is the primary goal,” she said.
NAN
