Hananeel Jackson
Hosts Delta State have successfully retained their National Sports Festival crown, winning the silverware for a record 7th time.
After 12 days of intense contest among the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Delta confirmed their status as the number one in Sports in the country at the 21st National Sports Festival in Asaba tagged “Delta 2022” .
Team Delta topped the overall medals table with a haul of 648 medals comprising 320 gold, 200 Silver, 128 bronze, while team Bayelsa dethroned Edo to finish second with a total of 337 medals, 132 gold, 115 silver and 90 bronze, the highest number of medals won in the history of the state.
Edo were distant third amassing 339 medals: 78 gold, 94 silver, 167 bronze. Oyo State came 4th with 163 medals: 50 gold, 51 Silver, 62 bronze, as Lagos finished 5th with 172 medals, 41 gold, 57 Silver, 74 bronze. Rivers,Kano, Ogun and FCT all occupied 6th to 10th position.
Zamfara finished bottom with no medal, as Gombe recorded 6 bronze, Sokoto got 3 medals: 1 silver, 2 bronze.
Popular Delta State born musician, Erhiga Agarivbie known as Erigga and Zlatan literally set the place on ‘fire’ with some of their popular songs.
Declaring the Unity Games closed, President Muhammadu Buhari represented by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare congratulated Delta for emerging overall winners of the 21st edition of the festival, pointing out that the competition in Asaba in the last 12 days had proven that Sports remain unifier of youths in the country.
President Buhari while condoling with the family of Imo state boxer Chukwuemeka Igboanugo who passed on during the fiesta, noted that the power of sports was fully activated during the national sports festival because participants set aside ethnic and religious orientation to compete.
He charged all the athletes who won medals in the just concluded 21st National Sports Festival to work hard to represent Nigeria and win medals at the Olympic Games in Paris, France in 2024.
He emphasized the need for the States in the country to invest in sports development and infrastructure.
In an address, Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa represented by his deputy governor Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, commended all the athletes who took part in the National Sports Festival describing them as heroes and heroines.
He also praised the efforts of Delta State for maintaining the standard and retaining festival title for the 7th time in a row, appreciating Team Bayelsa for the good spirit they put up during the spectacle.
In an interview, an athlete Ayomide Powei, said she was happy to see Team Bayelsa finish second for the first time, assuring Bayelsans of a better outing in the next sports festival in Ogun State.
Ogun State was officially announced as hosts of the 22nd National Sports Festival in 2024 as neighboring Oyo State is on standby.
