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Nineteen-year-old, Nana Yaa Abigail Kwarteng emerged the star of the National Open Athletics Championship held at the El-Wak Stadium last Saturday.

The competition co-sponsored by the Past Athletics Association of Ghana (PAAG), the former National Sports College high jumper cleared a height of 1.77 metres to meet the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), B-standard for the competition. She has, therefore, qualified for the 2016 Africa Athletics Championships in Durban in July.

Other athletes such as much- fancied sprinters, Shepherd Agbeko, and Beatrice Gyaman failed to meet the qualifying standards for both the African Championships and Olympics despite winning the 200metres and 100metres races respectively.

Agbeko finished the 200metres heat in 21.77 seconds before finishing the finals ahead of Stephen Opoku (21.68 seconds) and Bright Tsitey (21.68 seconds) which was below the minimum Olympics and African Championship entry mark.

Meanwhile, Beatrice who was a hot favourite to at least qualify for the African Championships in the women's 100 metres fluffed her lines and was beaten by Dorcas Gyimah (11.79seconds) while Cecilia Asekiya (12.19) finished third. All three ladies did not come close to threatening the entry standards for the Olympics and African Championships which are pegged at 11.32seconds and 11.61 seconds respectively.

Emmanuel Appiah Kubi (10.93seconds) won the men's 100metres, Lariba Sakat (37:45.02 seconds) clinched the women's 10,000metres race, the women's 1,500metres, was won by Elizabeth Azuure (4:41.19seconds), Malik Ibrahim clinched the 5000 metres men's final, Joana Agyemang (10.55metres) won the women's shot put and Ezekiel Quarshie (2.02 metres ) won the men's high jump.

In other events, Samuel Addo (15.46metres) emerged the triple jump champion, the men's javelin was won by Richard Barnor (56.18metres) while Ralio Derzu (1:56.85seconds) emerged the 800m men's champion.