Ado Salisu
Gabon national hammer record holder, Kenza Falana is certain that her time to rule the spotlight and make headlines is now.
It’s a medal within reach for the young Gabonese hammer thrower who was selected to represent her country at the CAA U-18/20 Championship, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, South-West, Nigeria.
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The 18-year-old who broke into the international stage a year ago, at the biggest sporting spectacle – the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, added that she is looking to revive the spirit of unity, commitment and collaboration — to back a rising athlete in Africa.
Kenza Falana, speaking with newsmen on Sunday at the final day of the biennial championship, said she is ready for the perfect execution of her speciality.
“I think it’s finally my chance that I’m doing the Championships. Because I’ve been thinking of it this past year, thinking it would be such an opportunity to travel to Nigeria and even win a gold medal. And that’s what I’m planning to do today.”
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The hammer thrower from the Université de Paris, Nanterre, emphasised that she had no doubt about her capacity to perform.
“I’m pretty optimistic because I’m currently ranked highest in Africa on the hammer throw list. I’ve had some training here and think I’m capable of winning the gold medal today.”
Falana, a multiple-time U18 and U20 champion with a World Athletics-certified personal best of 57.50 meters, said her next goal is to break the African record.
“I feel like I can even beat the African record like today, and I’ve had some training here, and I threw my hammer some 59 meters, so with all the ambience and stuff, I feel that I can even throw better distances.”
The girl from ‘the land of Bantu’, who spends her leisure time drawing, said that her love for the sport and the thrill of winning fuels her.
“I’m mostly doing it for fun. I feel like the better I become, the more fun I’ll have.”
Kenza Falana, who has a high chance of rewriting the African record in hammer throw, put out kind words for athletics faithfuls back home and across the continent. She stressed that making your presence felt in major competitions is not limited to early-starters in sports.
“I want to make them proud. I want to show them that even though you started sports a bit later than everyone else, you can still compete and win competitions such as the African championships.”
Kenza Falana concluded by giving her target for the next couple of years, “I think I will be able to compete at the 2028 Olympics, and that’s my long-term goal.”
Her powerful African sports story amplifies what the continent, but more especially Gabonese sportsmen and women, can achieve with the right motivation.
The young lady from Libreville is a finalist at the most elevated sporting stage on the big black continent, carrying the hopes, dreams and aspirations of her country, and she is sure to make both her nation and Africa proud.