Team Ghana has failed to defend the men’s 4x100m gold medal in the African games as team Nigeria beat them by a whisker (0.02s) in the men’s 4x100m relay final to win gold.
This all transpired at the University of Ghana sports stadium on Wednesday, 20th March, 2024.
Ghana were the holders of the 4x100m after winning gold in the last edition of the games in Rabat, Morocco. Unfortunately, the team was unable to guard their title on home soil.
Team Nigeria, who have been brilliant in both track and field events, continued their blistering performance in the men’s 4x100m relay final to win their 4th gold medal on day 3 of the athletics competition in the ongoing 13th African Games.
Team Nigeria won the race with a time of 38.41s, outrunning the defending champions Ghana, who clocked 38.42s to win silver, as team Liberia came in third with a time of 38. 73s.
After attaining first position in an impressive run from the quartet yesterday in the 4x100m heat to book a place in the finals, Ghanaians were optimistic that the quartet led by Benjamin Azamati would be able to defend the gold medal. But it didn’t pan out as such.
Team Ghana began the race well after an impressive start and baton exchange between Edwin Gadayi and the national 100m record holder Benjamin Azamati.
Ghana led the race after the first two changes in the baton, but the final change to put the icing on the cake had a hitch as Joseph Paul Amoah and Hammond Solomon failed to swiftly exchange the baton, allowing team Nigeria to capitalize on that to claim the biggest prize on the night.
Team Ghana’s 4x100m quartet consisted of Ghana’s 200m record holder, Joseph Paul Amoah, Edwin Gadayi, Hammond Solomon and the national 100m record holder Benjamin Azamati.
Whereas the team that won gold for Nigeria consisted of, Israel Sunday, Ekenam Consider, Akintola Alaba and Itsekiri Usheoritse.
Team Liberia’s bronze medalist was made up of made up of Matadi Emmanuel, Reeves Jabez, John Sherman and
Joseph Fahnbulleh.
The 4x100m quartet team won Ghana’s 23rd silver medal at the ongoing 13th African games, to take the country’s tally to 49 medals in total.
–
Story by: Rabbi Adu Agyei| univers.ug.edu.gh
