March 17, (THEWILL)- Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Nigeria’s top shot putter based in the United States, has set a new African record just days before the start of the athletics events at the 13th African Games in Ghana.
The 31-year-old threw a massive personal best of 21.80m at the Hvezdy vs. Nehvizdech International Athletics Meeting in the Czech Republic.
Enekwechi’s record-breaking performance has earned him a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics, his second successive qualification for the Games after competing in Tokyo 2020. The Nigerian-American shared his excitement on Instagram, calling it a “fun meet” where he achieved his personal best alongside “some good people.”
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist and reigning African champion is expected to arrive in Ghana this morning to join Team Nigeria’s camp ahead of the track events of the African Games. Enekwechi is also the 2019 African Games champion, the current Nigerian National Sports Festival champion, and a strong medal contender in Ghana.
His new African record improves on his previous mark of 21.61m set in 2022. It places him eighth on the 2023 world outdoor list led by Ryan Crouser’s 23.51m world record. With this massive throw, Enekwechi continues Nigeria’s proud tradition of producing elite track and field athletes.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
