With less than eight days to the African Games 2023, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Enoh, has charged Team Nigeria athletes to shatter every record in and out of their sights and etch their names in history like past legends.
With the commencement of the games just a week away, all eyes are on the track events, where history-making performances are expected to thrill fans.
One name that resonates in the annals of African Games history is Deji Aliu of Team Nigeria.
Aliu holds the esteemed record for the fastest 100-metre finish ever recorded in the African Games, a remarkable feat achieved in 2003 when he blazed through the track in an astonishing 9.95 seconds.
A statement by Diana-Mary Nsan, the Special Assistant on Media, the minister said the remarkable achievement not only etched his name in the record books but also underscored his status as one of the continent’s premier sprinters.
Joining Aliu in the exclusive club of sub-10-second sprinters are fellow Nigerians Uchenna Emedolu, whose lightning-fast finish of 9.97 seconds in 2003 remains etched in memory, and Raymond Ekevwo, whose electrifying run in 2019 saw him cross the line in 9.96 seconds.
Enoh said, “Just like Deji Aliu, I am urging you all to do wonders in Accra and shut down the tracks with your speed and agility. This is the kind of moment where legends are made; thus, I am charging you all to go for gold and go for broke.”
As athletes from across Africa prepare to converge in Accra for the 2024 African Games, anticipation is running high for another chapter of record-breaking performances and unforgettable moments.
With the stage set and the competition fierce, all eyes are on the track, where history waits to be made once again.
Nigeria has had excellent appearances at the Games; however, Senator Enoh has told this year’s contingent to not settle for less but raise the bar even higher.
Team Nigeria will depart the shores of the country on March 4th, as Africa converges in Accra between March 8 to 23, 2024.
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