Started on Friday March 8, 2024, the Accra 2024 African Games end this Saturday March 23.
If Benin did not meet expectations in certain disciplines (badminton, Karate, Judo, Swimming, Football, Beach Volleyball, Wrestling), the country is doing valiantly and proudly in two disciplines: Arm wrestling and Heptathlon.
In 50 years of history of the African Games, it is for the first time that Benin won Gold medals and it was thanks to its Arm wrestling team and Odile AHOUANWANOU in Heptathlon.
For the first discipline, arm wrestling, the Beninese team was made up of 6 athletes and produced a real master-class by winning a total of eight medals including two (02) gold won by Emmanuela Marie-Rose LALÈYÈ in the 65 Kg category first on the left arm (Wednesday) then on the right arm (Saturday).
In the Heptathlon events (long jump, javelin throw, 800 m) Beninese Odile AHOUANWANOU has no details. She won gold with a total of 5,616 points ahead of Nigerian Kemi FRANCIS-PETERSEN and Cameroonian Adèle Mafogang TENKEU.
And even if she has done better in the past (6,186 points at the Tokyo 2020 / July-August 2021 Olympics) Odile AHOUANWANOU remains optimistic to perform in the future.
« It’s done, we are African champions today, during the Accra 2024 African Games. Thank you very much to everyone for your various supports. The best is ahead. Thank you Lord for your Grace » posted the Heptathlon specialist.
Performance medals too
It should be noted that apart from the two (02) Gold Medals, Benin obtained others in the arm wrestling events. These are performance medals awarded to:
- Emmanuella Marie Rose LALEYE for her six (6) victories out of her six (6) outings.
- Olympas TOKPANOU aka Bombardier for her two victories against Nigeria and Madagascar in the 75 kg category;
- Sébastien KPALOKO for his victory against Nigeria in the 75 kg category;
- Émilienne Ginette DJIVO in the 70 kg category;
- Brice Comlan GANGNI for his success in the refereeing and coaching exam;
- Gérémie GBEGNIHO in his capacity as coach, medalist for the feat of the national team.
Francis Z. YOU WILL COME
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