ACTUALITE |
21.03.2006
Commonwealth Games: Three Medals for Cameroon
One silver and two bronze medals were won yesterday evening by Cameroon in weightlifting and Athletics.
At last, the medals began tumbling into the Cameroon basket. In one evening the Cameroon delegation registered three medals, one silver and two bronze. The female 100 metres athletics and the male 85kg weightlifting series coughed out the three vital medals. In what looked like a last ditch stand in Melbourne, Cameroon weightlifters stormed the Exhibition Centre and plucked two medals in the eighty-five kilogram series. Batchaya Ketchanke and Simplice Ribouem picked respectively silver and a bronze, surrendering the valued gold to Pakistan’s Malik Shuja Ud-Din. The Cameroon laureates were the remaining two weightlifters in the race after the elimination of five others earlier in the games. The two medals lifted in one series provided the Cameroon delegation something to hang on after days of deflation. Early yesterday morning weightlifting coach, Matam Ndicka David, assembled his remaining two guys for a strategic meditation before the final onslaught. At the moment of challenge later in the evening the results came tumbling in.
In the athletics realm, the two track queens Leonie Mani and Delphine Atangana stormed the Melbourne Cricket Stadium for the 100 metres semis. While Leonie Manu crashed out, Delphine Atangana snatched a ticket for a much-awaited final with challengers in the likes of Brooks Sheri Ann and Geraldine Pillay. When the moment of truth came the thousands of spectators in the stadium gave a standing ovation to the three top stars of the series. Delphine Atangana occupied the third position, running the distance in 11.39 seconds and lifting in the process a bronze medal. Other victories in the day came from Boxing. Kaljob Samuel 60kg Lightweight and Anaba Eric, 54kg Bantamweight blasted opponents to qualify for quarter finals. The two boxers are said to be highly motivated for their next combats slated for tomorrow, Wednesday. Boxing Head coach, Justin Tchwen told Cameroon Tribune that "It will be no easy task at this level, given that the eight qualifiers appear the to be the best in Africa."
With three medals, Cameroon occupies the 20th position on the general classification as at Press time yesterday evening. South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya are the African countries calling the shots in Melbourne for now. At the top of the medals placing is host Australia with over 103 medals, thirty-nine of them plaited in gold. England and India are occupying second and third position respectively. The three medals won by Delphine Atangana and the two weightlifters have ignited hope within the Cameroon delegation. The Olympic and Sports Committee President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum accompanied by Paul Hamadou, Secretary General at MINSEP constantly strive to encourage the athletes to hold the fort. Impromptu visits to the games village and training grounds by these officials remind the main actors of the need to shoot for the stars and pluck vital medals for the Fatherland.
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Hits: 1 | Source:cameroon-tribune.cm | |
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