Nigerian Ofili Favour Chukwuka was selected as Best Female Athlete of the 2019 Confederation of African Athletics U18 and U20 Championships which ended on Saturday in Abidjan, after five days of competition.
Chukwuka pulled off a shock three-gold success at the championships, where she competed in the U-18 category.
She won gold in the 400m race at 52.27, with her second gold medal coming in 200m at 23.37 while her third was in medley relay.
She happens to be the only female athlete in the championships that made such achievement.
“After a difficult start due to our difficult journey from Lagos, I began to pick up. My energy and pace began to pour in and I saw myself besting top athletes from South Africa, Kenya and even Ethiopia,” she told ACLSports.
“I can attribute this success to God, in the first place, and then hard work. Although our camping was very short, we did our best to reach the basic standard before coming here.
At the age of 18, Chukwuka is “hope for the future” of Nigerian and African athletics, according to the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) president, Hamad Kalkaba, Malboum who has promised to provide a full scholarship for the young woman, who says the sky remains her limit.
“I will make good use of the scholarship. Firstly, I will go back to school, and then begin preparations for future events. I would like to compete in the All African Games, the Common Wealth Games, the Diamond League and the Olympic Games,” she said.
