By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
SPRINTER, Sydney Siame yesterday won a gold medal in the 100m final to give Zambia her first medal at the on-going Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
The athletics team has given Zambia more hopes of minting medals after three other runners, Brian Kasinda (200m), Godfrey Chama (800m) and Abigail Chongo (200m) all reached the finals in the respective events.
This feat came after dismal performances from judoka Nokutula Banda, swimmer Ralph Goveia and the girls and boys Hockey 5’s teams.
Siame, a silver medalist at the Africa Youth Games in Botswana, proved unstoppable to claim gold after timing 10.56 seconds beating seven other contenders and also improved on his 10.58 seconds qualifying time.
He also beat Australia’s Trae Williams, who was in pole position during the qualifying heat but slumped into third after timing 10.60 seconds to win bronze. Kenta Oshima of Japan scooped a silver medal after finishing second with the time of 10.57 seconds.
Same Ekobo of Spain and Meshaal Almutairi of Kuwait finished outside the medal bracket having timed 10.71 and 10.80 seconds in fourth and fifth respectively. Kristoffer Hari of Denmark, who finished second in the qualifying heat three on 10.82 seconds, finished in distant sixth place with 10.80 on the clock while Venezuela’s Josneyber Ramirez clocked 10.82 seconds with Tyler Bowe timing 10.96 at the bottom.
Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) president Elias Mpondela expressed happiness at Siame’s feat saying it was a proud moment both for the association and the country.
Mpondela said in an interview yesterday that winning gold at such a tournament for the first time was a realization of the Talent Indenfication Programme (TIP) that ZAAA had put in place which is also part of the strategic refocusing planning.
“It is an exciting moment both for ZAAA and Zambia, the boys has brought us joy. We have invested a lot in these athletes and this feat comes at a great cost but worthy investment and we are targeting the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to mint more medals. Hope the remaining runners will do us proud,” he said.
Meanwhile, the boys’ hockey team, who made it to the quarterfinals based on a superior goal difference in Pool B, bowed out with a 10-1 thrashing at the hands Spain.
Goals from Suarez Parrilla, Jan Lara, Manuel Fabregas, Llorenc Pierra, Joan Tarres and Lucas Garcia were all Spain needed to inflin pain the Zambians, who scored a consolation through Samuel Tagwirei.