Team Nigeria delivered one of its most impressive performances at the CAA U18/U20 Region II Championships in Dakar, Senegal, producing outstanding displays across the sprints, relays, jumps, throws, hurdles, and middle distance events to finish the competition with an impressive medal haul. The championships began on a positive note when Chigozie Rosemary Nwankwo won her opening heat of the U18 Girls’ 100m in 11.88s before returning to produce an outstanding 11.35s to claim the gold medal.
In the same event, Tejiri Ugoh Praise opened with a 11.70s victory in her heat before earning silver in the U18 100m final. She quickly bounced back to dominate the 200m, clocking 23.68s to secure gold and complete an excellent championship campaign. The U20 women’s sprints belonged to Lucy Nwankwo, who completed a memorable sprint double. She first captured the 100m title a personal best of 11.41s before returning to win the 200m crown in 23.46s, leaving Dakar as one of Nigeria’s biggest stars of the championships.
On the men’s side, Bright Gift enjoyed a dream international debut. The young sprinter stormed to U18 Boys’ 100m gold with a 10.41s before running a 20.90s to qualify for the 200m final and later won it with a lifetime best of 20.70s, underlining his enormous potential for the future.
Meanwhile, Godwin Tejiri proved his championship quality by winning the U20 Men’s 100m title in 10.35s before adding the 200m crown in 21.22s. Earlier, he had produced a personal best of 21.06s during the heats to qualify for the final. His double sprint gold capped an exceptional outing in Dakar.
Nigeria’s U18 Girls’ Medley Relay team of Tejiri Ugoh Praise, Chigozie Rosemary Nwankwo, Faith Ezechukwu, and Jecinta Andrews combined brilliantly to win gold, producing one of the most exciting performances of the championships and further highlighting the country’s sprint depth. Nigeria’s throwers enjoyed tremendous success throughout the championships. Success Okeleke became Team Nigeria’s first gold medallist after winning the U20 Men’s Discus with a throw of 47.10m, while teammate Emmanuel Shakamomodu Audu secured silver with 47.00m to complete a Nigerian one two finish. Okeleke later added another gold medal in the U20 Men’s Javelin with a throw of 48.11m, completing an impressive double. Audu also returned to the podium by winning bronze in the javelin with 42.83m, ensuring another double medal finish for Nigeria.
In the jumps, Adaeze Ezeh claimed silver in the U18 Girls’ Long Jump with a leap of 5.67m before showcasing her versatility by producing a personal best of 24.01s in the 200m heats to qualify for the final. She eventually added another silver medal in the 200m, ending the championships with two podium finishes. One of Nigeria’s standout performers was Mary Chioma Edeh, who demonstrated remarkable endurance by competing successfully in two demanding events. She captured gold in the U18 Girls’ 400m Hurdles before returning to claim silver in the U18 Girls’ 800m, highlighting her versatility and competitive spirit.
In the U18 Girls’ 400m, Faith Ezechukwu led a Nigerian one-two finish by winning gold, while teammate Jecinta Lawrence claimed silver. Nigeria also added another medal in the U20 Men’s 400m through Dominion Udoh, who earned silver after clocking 47.26 seconds in the final. Throughout the competition, Team Nigeria consistently delivered podium finishes, personal bests, championship titles, and dominant one two finishes. The performances reflected the country’s growing strength at the junior level and reinforced the exciting future of Nigerian athletics.
The outstanding display drew praise from Chief Tonobok Okowa, Senior Vice President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), President of CAA Region II, and President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), who congratulated the team for their exceptional performances and commitment throughout the championships.
With multiple individual champions, relay gold, several personal bests, and medals spread across sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps, throws, and middle-distance events, Team Nigeria left Dakar with renewed confidence and a new generation of athletes ready to make an impact on the continental and global stage.