A host of Ghanaian Athletes have put up strong showing on day 1 of track and field at the ongoing All African University Games in South Africa.

University of Ghana sprinter, Desmond Aryee won gold in the men’s 100m final in a personal best time of 10.40s on Thursday.

Aryee held off competition from his compatriot Martin Owusu Antwi of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who came second in 10.42 and Mount Kenya University’s Charles Wanjiru Wamweya, who finished in 10.48s, to secure the victory.

Aryee and Owusu-Antwi appeared to have acclimatised to the cold conditions at the venue having participated in the 20th African Senior Championships in Durban which ended only last Sunday.

There was more to come later as sprinter Martin Owusu-Antwi inspired the KNUST men’s 4x100m relay team to win gold in a time of 40.49s ahead of the team from the University of Education Winneba, who recorded 40.95s while Mount Kenya University came third in 41.93s.

Meanwhile, University of Ghana’s female sprinter, Dorcas Pomah Nimako won silver in the women’s 100m final in a time of 12.02s behind eventual winner Petunia Ndyombo Obisi of the University of Western Cape, who clocked 11.96s while University of Botswana’s Ontiretse Molapisi came third in 12.07s.

Dorcas later run the third leg as the University of Ghana’s 4x100m women’s relay team won gold in a time of 47.39s ahead of Midlands State University in 51.12 and the University of Botswana in 55.40s.

Bachela Yirimeah Awudu won University of Ghana’s fourth medal in track and field when he finished third with a throw of 39.47m in the men’s discus throw behind University of Johannesburg’s Russel Tucket, who won with 58.15m while Tshwane University of Technology’s Rudolf Johannes Van Vuuren came second with 41.11m.

There was also some strong showing from the University of Education Winneba (UEW) whose 400m runner Shawkia Iddrisu clinched gold in the women’s 400m final in a time of 54.82s, followed by University of Ghana’s Joycelyn Assafuah in 57.21 while the University of Zambia’s Musonda Chitoshi came third in 1:01.83.

UEW’s Umar Ayishetu also took first place with 33.97m in the women’s discus while Africa University’s Nozipho Makhanda took second in 24.57m.