Mariam Foum of Tanzania competes in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke heat during the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, Scotland yesterday. photo | afp
What you need to know:
This is the first time in as many years local swimmers make such an impressive show in one heat of the Games
Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian swimmer Ammar Ghadiyali sounded a warning note to his next opponents at the 2014 Commonwealth Games as he finished top in heat one of the men’s 50 metre butterfly event yesterday.
Ghadiyali, one of the athletes Tanzanians bank on for medals at the multi-sports event, clocked 28:11 seconds in the event held at Tollcross Swimming centre in Glasgow, Scotland.
Mariam Foum, another Tanzanian swimmer at the Glasgow Games, also had a day to remember. She finished second in heat one of the women’s breastroke style at the games that roared into life on Wednesday.
This is the first time in as many years local swimmers make such an impressive show in one heat of the Games. Both Ghadiyali and Foum, who are making their first appearance in the Commonwealth Games, had camped in New Zealand under the auspices of the government ahead of the quadrennial showpiece.
They were expected to join winners of other heats for last night’s medal event. Sixteen swimmers were expected to battle for medals in each category.
In yesterday’s event, Dillon Gooding of St. Vincent and the Grenadines clocked 30.62 in the men’s category to finish second, while his compatriot Vincent finished third in 31:09. In the women’s category, Foum clocked 37:61 behind Kenyan Martha Opiyo, who clocked 36:81 while the third position was won by Aishath Sajina of Maldives. She clocked 40:81.
It was a bad day for Tanzanian judokas Abuabakari Nzige, Andrew Mlugu and Ahmed Magogo who had their medal hopes dashed after losing their respective fights.
