Ghana dominated the CAA II U-18 and U20 athletics championships with 44 medals.
The competition, which served as qualification for the U20 World Athletics Championship to be staged in Cali, Columbia, in August, had about nine countries participating.
Team Ghana won 26 gold medals, 13 silver, and five bronze medals. Ghana had 10 gold medals more than second-place Burkina Faso as they managed 16 gold medals, 14 silver, and seven bronze medals, totaling 37.
Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Benin, and Liberia could manage less than five gold medals each, while Niger and Togo finished eighth and ninth on the medal table.
The four West African countries could amass 10 gold medals, with Cote d’Ivoire lifting four, Senegal and Mali having two each, while Benin and Liberia won one apiece.
Ghana’s Solomon Kweku Hammond of the University of Ghana clocked 10.53s in the 100m final to qualify for the championships and could not hide his elation.
“I feel very happy about my qualification. It’s my season’s best performance. I missed my PB by .01,” he said.
Hammond revealed he has an injury but will improve on his times soon.
“I want to treat my harm string and move back to the track again. I want to thank my coach Marshall and Coach Rauf.
“The competition was very tough. When we started, I was together with my teammate Fuseini Ibrahim, but I did not see him again after 60m.
“I am also going to train hard so I expect to go there and win,” he stated.
Fuseini Ibrahim, whom Hammond said he could not see again after 60m into their race, injured his ankle but finished second.
“I feel so sad at what happened. I injured my ankle. Initially, it was my power leg, but from the blocks, I was able to move with them for about 30 meters.
“From 40m onwards, that was when I felt the pain. Had it not been for the injury, I am sure I would have won the race easily.”
The deadline for qualification to the U20 championship is in July.
Source: JoySports
