Francophonie games-Ivory Coast: Cameroon grabs first gold medal

It was thanks to Essombe Tiako Joseph Emilienne, who fought against a Senegalese adversary on Sunday 23 July, that Cameroon can boast of a Gold medal in this competition.

Weighing just 58kg compared to her opponent who weighed more, as Essombe revealed, it was skill that earned her the position. The Senegalese was experienced and stronger but that did not help her in their ferocious fight.

“I daunted the task that I had before me this time around, which is more than what I showcased during the last games in France where I finished with a Silver medal” the athlete said.

She went further “I succeeded because luck was on my side too, given that the fight was so fierce. One other thing that helped me was the familiarity which we had had with each other. We have once trained together back in my opponent’s Country and we know the weak points of each other”.

The Gold medalist thanked her team mates, family members her coach and above all God who saw her through all of what she experienced.