From ELIAS CHIPEPO In Glasgow, Scotland –
ZAMBIA wrapped up her participation at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on a disappointing note, finishing eighth in the men’s 4×400 metres relay finals on Saturday night.
However, it was a night many would not bother much about Zambia’s dismal performance as the globe was rather focused on seeing how the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt would perform in the men’s 4x100m relay after recovering from injury.
And he did just that by guiding his Jamaican side to a gold medal while Zambia agonisingly finished last in the finals that saw them qualify by default after disqualifications to the likes of India, Kenya, Canada and Uganda.
England won the final, timing 3:00.46 minutes with Bahamas claiming silver with a time 3:00.51 minutes as Trinidad & Tobago getting bronze after finishing third clocking 3:00.51 minutes.
In fourth place was Jamaica clocking 3:02.17 minutes, Scotland 3:04. 07 minutes, Australia 3:04.19 minutes, Nigeria 3:04.86 minutes and Zambia 3:10.26 minutes.
Zambian athletics coach Ralph Mouchbahani made a wise decision to drop United States based runner Prince Mumba to rope in Cephas Nyimbiri after the former messed up his team-mates in the qualifying round.
Titus Mukhala started the race for Zambia in lane two but was seventh the time he was handing over the baton to Emmanuel Mwewa who tumbled into eighth position at the time he was exchanging the baton with Nyimbiri.
Nyimbiri could do little to catch up on the leading pack as he maintained eighth place with Saviour Kombe finishing in distant eighth as he found the English celebrating their triumph and posing for photographs the time he crossed the finishing line.
The gold winning England team had Conrad Williams, Michael Bingham, Daniel Awde, Mathews Hudson-Simth while the Bahamas got their silver thanks to Latoy Williams, Michael Mathieu, Alonzo Russell, Chris Brown with Lalonde Gordon, Jarrin Solomon, Renny Quow and Zwede Hewit minting bronze for Trinidad & Tobago.
Meanwhile, Zambia was represented in athletics by African champion Kabange Mupopo who failed to impress in the 400m heat finishing sixth to exit the competition in the qualifying stage.
Kombe took part in the 400m and reached the semi finals but finished seventh to exit the event while Mukhala’s 200m bid end in fourth place to miss out on the semi finals and the case was same in the 100m where he also secured fourth position.
Yvonne Nalishuwa finished sixth in her 100m heat while Rhoda Njobvu also tumbled in her 400m qualifier.
