STORIES By Tony Ubani, Maputo
In the absence of football, Basketball has been credited with winning the most precious gold medal for Team Nigeria as the curtains fell in the 10th All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.

Nigeria’s male and female football, during the qualifiers, kissed the dust to their Ghanaian counterparts who shone like northern star in the Games. But Basketball picked up the gauntlet to achieve one of their most impressive victories in recent years, beating host nation, Mozambique 62-57 for the gold medal.

Basketball was the only sport where fans paid to watch proceedings and they poured out in their thousands to cheer their nation expecting to get their only gold in the All Africa Games. Nigeria defied the hoots,

Judo, Taekwondo disappoint Team Nigeria

Team Nigeria officials were left gritting their teeth when Judo and Taekwondo from whom much was expected fell below par in the final medal rush to allow Egypt beat Nigeria by the tape with just one gold medal.

With Beijing Olympics bronze medalist, Chika Chukwumerije lined to fight in the last day of Taekwondo events, the expectation was that he would win gold which would have made Team Nigeria tie with Egypt on same 32 gold medals. Nigeria would have finished second because of superior silver and bronze medals.

Nigeria had 28 silver while Egypt had 14. Chika Chukwumerije fought like a wounded lion with one leg as the other one was injured. “He fought with pains from the beginning of his fights.

He was injured but still dismissed his opponents with one leg to the final. By then, he had aggravated the pain but still fought the Ivorian who won 11-10”, defended Taekwondo Federation President, Dr Jonathan Nnaji.

Judo, however, has no defence as they could not account for one gold medal. Eneife Solomon was the saving grace in Judo getting a silver in the 60 kg male while Franca Audu and Agbodobin Victoria won two bronze medals respectively.

Chukwumerije’s other son, Uche Chukwumerije won gold in Taekwondo with others accounting for a cocktail of silver and bronze medals.

“We were worried about the photo-finish and banked heavily on Taekwondo and Judo to get gold medals but unfortunately, that didn’t happen”, Chef de mission, Yakmut Alhassan explained.