African Games day 16 preview: Athletics, taekwondo to crown champions as boxing, tennis serves up quarter-finals
(ACCRA – Made In Africa Sport) Activities continue on Tuesday, 19 March 2023, at the African Games, featuring 164 events across 7 sports.
Athletics commences the day at 8:30 am and concludes at 9:30 pm with 28 events, 12 of which will award medals.
Three disciplines marked the beginning of the morning session, where South Africa’s Fredriech Pretorius claimed victory in all. He triumphed in the Men’s Decathlon 110m hurdles with a time of 14.92, the Men’s Decathlon Discus with a throw of 41.88, and the Men’s Decathlon Pole Vault with a height of 4.40, overcoming competitors from Kenya, Algeria, and Egypt.
In the afternoon session of athletics, the Legon Sports Stadium is expected to once again attract spectators with seven scheduled medal events. These events include the Women’s High Jump Final, Men’s Shot Put Final, Women’s Pole Vault Final, Women’s Triple Jump Final, Women’s Hammer Throw Final, and the Men’s 10000m Final.
In the Women’s High Jump Final, athletes from various nations, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Namibia, Algeria, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, and Guinea, will compete for top honours. Similarly, the Men’s Shot Put Final will feature competitors from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Namibia, Mauritius, Egypt, and Togo vying for victory.
The Women’s Pole Vault Final will see participants from Tunisia and South Africa contending for supremacy, while the Women’s Triple Jump Final will feature athletes from Nigeria, Togo, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Mauritius battling for podium places.
Furthermore, the Women’s Hammer Throw Final will showcase competitors from Mali, South Africa, Algeria, the Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt.
The Men’s 10000m Final will witness athletes from Eritrea, Kenya, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Burundi competing for coveted medals.
Meanwhile, the starting lists for the Mixed 4x400m Relay Final, Men’s 100m Final, Men’s Decathlon, Men’s 110m Hurdles Final, Women’s 100m, and Women’s 800m Final will be determined during the heats leading up to the finals.
On the second day of basketball, there will be 16 events, starting from 3 pm to 8:20 pm, with the games taking place at the Legon Netball Court for Women’s Pool B and C, and the University of Ghana Basketball Court for Men’s Pool A and D.
Boxing enters the quarter-finals stage today across all categories with 20 bouts in the Women’s 60kg, Women’s 70kg, Men’s 54kg, Men’s 63.5kg, Men’s 67kg, and Men’s 80kg divisions.
After the Black Princesses secured a final slot against the Falconets of Nigeria in the Women’s football event on Monday, the Black Satellites will aim to join their female compatriots when they face Senegal at 8:30 pm, while Uganda seeks their first medal in men’s football as they take on 1965 gold medallists Congo at the Accra Sports Stadium at 5 pm.
Rugby Sevens makes its debut at the African Games for the first time in history, with Kenya initiating the first of six games against Benin in the Men’s Pool at the GCB Hall, University of Ghana.
Actions continue in Taekwondo at the Ga-Mashie Hall, with the Women’s under 49kg Tatami B, women’s under 67kg Tatami A, and Men’s under 87kg reaching the round of 32.
Taekwondist will vie for victory in the round 16 of the men’s under 74kg Tatami C, women’s under 49kg Tatami B, women’s 67kg Tatami A, Men’s 74kg Tatami C, and men’s under 87kg Tatami D.
Additionally, there will be quarter-final matchups in men’s under 74kg Tatami C and men’s under 87kg Tatami D, and semi-final matchups in women’s under 49kg Tatami B, women’s under 67kg Tatami A, men’s under 74kg Tatami C, and men’s under 87kg Tatami D.
To conclude the day’s Taekwondo events, finalists will battle it out for gold medals in women’s under 49kg Tatami B, women’s under 67kg Tatami A, men’s under 74kg Tatami C, and men’s under 87kg Tatami D.
In tennis at the Borteyman Multipurpose Sports Complex, the quarter-final action begins in women’s singles and doubles, as well as men’s singles and doubles.
Volleyball action returns for the 8th consecutive day, with Nigeria facing Seychelles and Kenya taking on Algeria in the Women’s preliminary round group B.
