Okagbare Wins Long Jump, Taekwondo Adds Two Bronze

BLESSING Okagbare, with a leap of 6.50 metres yesterday, won gold in the women’s long jump event of the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo.
Okagbare, who lost the 100 metres gold medal to compatriot, Damola Osayomi, made up for the miss in the long jump to claim her individual medal. She also won gold in the 4x100 metres relay race.
Also, Nigeria’s taekwondo team added two bronze medals to the country’s medals haul yesterday at the Maria Mutola Sports Centre in Despotivo, downtown Maputo.
Team Nigeria entered four fighters on the day in different weight categories, but only Sunday Onofe and Usman Abubakar made it to the semi-final and picked bronze medals. Abubakar would have made it to the final but for a controversial decision that turned his semis victory to defeat in his fight against Egypt’s Sheriff.
Both fighters had tied 6-6, and it was left to the sudden death to decide the victor. Abubakar seemed to have secured victory in the first minute of the added time when the scoreboard recorded a point for him, but on protest, the judges cancelled the point and instead awarded victory to the Egyptian.
In the other semi-final involving Nigeria, Sunday Onofe lost 12-17 to Tunisian Trabelssi to end up with the bronze medal in the 62kg class. Earlier in the day, Irene Osula had lost her quarter-final bout 3-6 to Camerounian Ngo, while an Egyptian fighter defeated Osaro Love Okoro 15-1.
Team Nigeria’s captain, Uche Chukwumerije, his younger brother, Chika, and Issah Mohammed Adam will step into the ring today as the country continues its search for more medals.
Meanwhile, Team Nigeria’s men basketball team, D’Tigers, will today battle Egypt in one of the quarter-final games of the event. Looking forward to today’s game, D’Tigers’ captain, Olumide Oyedeji, said his team was ready to battle the North African side, which nearly upset defending champion, Angola, in their group game.
“We won’t joke with the Egyptians as they are not here for jamboree,” Olumide said, adding that the mistakes that caused them the match against Mozambique in their last group match would be corrected before today’s game.
“Against Egypt, we have to keep the ball and check their incursions into our half of the court.”
According to him, the Egyptians would not be pushovers but he was hopeful that the Nigerian team, though young and largely inexperienced, would triumph: “Our target is the gold medal and we don’t fear who comes up next,” he assured.

SOURCE: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61130:-okagbare-wins-long-jump-taekwondo-adds-two-bronze&catid=59:home&Itemid=620