Team Nigeria have emerged with a second place finish at the 12th All-Africa Games in Rabat with a total of 121 medals, made up of 44 gold, 30 silver and 47 bronze.
Egypt got a total of 264 medals made up of 99 gold, 96 silver and 69 bronze to finish top, a position the North African country had maintained in almost all editions of the Games except that of Abuja 2003, when Nigeria topped, and in 1978 when they withdrew midway owing to perceived hostility with Algeria.
South Africa was third with 87 medals comprising of 36 gold, 26 silver and 25 bronze medals.
The bulk of Nigeria’s medals came from weightlifting, which accounted for 16 gold, 13 silver and 18 bronze medals, just as athletics produced 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze medals.
Table Tennis fetched Nigeria two gold, four silver and four bronze medals, while badminton accounted for two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Basketball fetched Nigeria two medals comprising of a gold and bronze.
In football, the female team, Falconets, got a gold medal, but their male counterparts, the Flying Eagles, failed in their final against Burkina Faso on and so settled for the silver medal.
Nigerian boxers won a gold, silver and five bronze medals, while karate fetched the country a gold medal. In gymnastic, it was a gold medal and two bronze medals, just as taekwondo fetched Nigeria a gold medal.
Nigerian Records At The 12th African Games
Tobi Amusan made history as she sets new a record at the 2019 All-Africa Games winning the 100 metres hurdles by finishing in 12.68 seconds. 22-year-old Amusan broke the 20-year-old record previously held by another Nigerian, Gloria Alozie, in the 100 meters women’s hurdles with 12.74 seconds during the 1999 edition of the African Games in Johannesburg, South Africa.
20 year-old Raymond Ekevwo has also now become the fastest man in Africa after he won the 100 meters final in record time of 9.96 seconds.
Folashade Rafiatu Lawal also set a new African record in the -59kg women’s snatch weightlifting event lifting 92kg in her second attempt after 90kg in her first attempt.
Eke Uche Devon won Nigeria’s first ever gold medial in gymnastics.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also set a new Games record in the Shot Put event as he threw a distance of 21.48 meters to erase the 20.25 meters record previously set by Frank Elemba at the 2015 edition in Congo, Brazzaville.
