….As Oborevwori Hails Team For Dedication, Fighting Spirit
BY IFEANYI UWAGWU
Defending champions Team Delta are on course to successfully defend their title and extend their status as the nation’s foremost sporting powerhouse, after amassing a total of 44 Gold medals, 19 Silver medals and 40 Bronze medals.
Despite a slow start to the games, which saw arch-rivals, Bayelsa, take the lead for days, they knew that Delta remained the state to beat.
This fear was revealed by Bayelsa’s Commissioner for Sports and Olympian, Daniel Igali when he mentioned that Bayelsa staying on top of the table was akin to Arsenal being atop the English Premier League Table.
Delta has now created a gap of 10 Gold medals over second-placed Bayelsa, who have 33 Gold, 23 Silver and 23 Bronze medals to create a wide gulf between both states and the chasing pack.
Team Rivers occupies the third position on the medals log with 25 Gold, 20 Silver and 23 Bronze medals.
Hosts, Team Ogun, who parades the largest number of contingents at the games, is closely placed in fourth with 22 Gold, 16 Silver and 24 Bronze medals, while Team Edo, which used to compete at the top end of the medals table have moved up to fifth with 14 Gold, 45 Silver and 40 Bronze medals to complete the top five states on the medals table.
Analysts believe that with the track and field events beginning, which traditionally remain Team Delta’s forte, the defending champions may attain an unassailable lead as they bid to successfully defend their title.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Onoriode Oborevwori, has commended the dedication, discipline, and fighting spirit of Team Delta athletes and officials.
Oborevwori praised the athletes for their relentless pursuit of excellence despite facing stiff competition and logistical hurdles. He lauded their display of strength and unity, describing them as the embodiment of the Delta spirit.
“Against all odds, our athletes and officials have displayed tremendous strength and character,” he said. “The challenges may be many, but Team Delta is showing what it means to stand tall in the face of adversity. Their resilience, commitment, and unity are attributes that will surely set us apart when the final whistle blows.”
The Gateway Games, which is the 22nd edition of the games, will end on May 30, while Enugu State will host the 23rd edition next year.
The National Sports Festival began in 1973 to foster national unity, and it’s Nigeria’s biggest sporting event, likened to the Olympics.
