ACCRA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Athletes competing at the 24th African Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana have expressed confidence and determination as they seek medals and qualification marks for major international events.
The championships, which opened Tuesday at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra, have attracted around 1,500 athletes from nations across the continent, competing across 44 disciplines.
Cameroon's Kole Etame Herverge said, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here and to compete and to represent my country. In my mind, I just wanted to be in the competition and win my heat to qualify for the next run, which I did. So, I'm satisfied for today. Like any other athlete, I want to win the gold medal."
Local athlete Solomon Diamo said he was pleased with his opening performance and remained focused on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships.
"In the 2024 African Games, I got an injury, and after I recovered, my coach pushed me hard to achieve my dreams. For this year, I will not disappoint myself. I'm just praying that my time will qualify me for the semifinal. Ghanaians should expect the best because we are here to do our best," Diamo said.
Uganda's Kenneth Omoka said expectations from supporters back home had provided extra motivation.
"To me, the goal was to make it to the next level because I knew the first two would go to the semifinal automatically. I know my home country will expect a lot from me, and I know they have hope in me," Omoka said.
Solomon Ayala of South Sudan described the championships as a valuable experience as he competed outside his country for the first time.
"For me, my experience is my first international event coming from outside my country, and yeah, being here is really amazing, and I love that I am competing with the international and the African champions," Ayala said.
The championships will conclude on May 17. Enditem
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