JOHANNESBURG - Some long overdue athletics action provided a reprieve from the organisational chaos on the first day of the African Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria yesterday.
Overshadowed by nations threatening to boycott the continental meeting due to botched travel and accommodation arrangements, the championships got off to a delayed start. Teams from across the continent , including South Africa, were stranded at the airport in Lagos for days waiting for a connection to Asaba.
The five-day track and field event was scheduled to start in the morning but was pushed to the afternoon with only the 100-metre heats and the men’s 10,000m taking place. South Africa’s male and female sprinters all advanced to the 100-metre semi-finals which were supposed to have taken place on the same day but were postponed to today.
Commonwealth Games champion Akani Simbine was in a class of his own, winning his race comfortably with a time of 10.29 seconds. “My first goal was to win the Commonwealth Games and now it is to win the African title just to stay healthy and prepare for the next two years,” Simbine said
Seven-time South African champion Simon Magakwe finished second in his heat, clocking 10.42 a split second behind Ben Youssef Meite of Ivory Coast. Roscoe Engel also made it through to the next round despite his pedestrian 10.62 which was good for second place and a spot in the semi-final.
In the women’s 100m, Cassidy Williamson (11.79) booked her place for the semis by finishing third behind world-leading Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who posted the fastest time of 11.25. South Africa’s Tebogo Mamatu won her heat by clocking 11.90 to advance to the semi-final. Distance ace Elroy Gelant was the first South African featuring in a final and finished in the men’s 10,000m with a time of 30:23.35.
Athletes from various African countries who are billed to compete today at the Africa Senior Athletics Championship #Asaba2018 are still stranded in Lagos.
This is a national disgrace. When will our administrators learn to plan properly? pic.twitter.com/FZqJqw4q7t
— EiE Nigeria (@EiENigeria) August 1, 2018
We finally made it to Nigeria for the CAA AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 🇳🇬. Regardless our circumstances we got to stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize 🥇
— Ruswahl Samaai (@RuswahlSamaai) July 31, 2018
Jumanji games 🐲
— Henricho Bruintjies 👑🅱️ (@KINGBRUINTJIES) August 1, 2018
The competition can't go on! What about the rest of the teams that's stranded at the airport? https://t.co/gzEkqfuQoQ
— Ruswahl Samaai (@RuswahlSamaai) August 1, 2018
Nigeria decided to shame Africa by subjecting athletes to the 2018 Asaba African Senior Athletics Championship to such inhuman treatment at Lagos International Airport, apparently there are no enough flights to the Delta State city of Asaba. pic.twitter.com/1fNQSo1OEr
— Bonface Osano (@bonfaceosano) July 31, 2018