After a successful opening ceremony at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Team Nasarawa athletes got into action at the on-going 21st National Sports Festival tagged #Delta2022.
1. CYCLING
On Thursday morning, Team Nasarawa participated in the 200/500 Metres Sprints Male qualifications on Ibusa Road, Asaba, and a 1km Time Trials in the afternoon.
On Friday, the Team will be hoping to advance to both the Semi-Finals and Finals as they will feature in the Male Quarter-Finals 500m Sprints on same Ibusa Road on Friday morning.
Team Nasarawa Cyclists include Daniel Adegoke, Mohammed Badamasi, Elkana Maisamari and Etekan Etim Ekanem, and are headed by Coach Babajada Umaru Mohammed.
2. DARTS
It was an unsavoury and painful moment for the duo of Simon Adah and Armstrong Allu as they narrowly lost their contest against their Abia and Kwara States Male counterparts in the 501 encounter decided at the Multi-purpose Hall of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, earlier today.
However, Coach Audrey Allu Adzuayi will do all she can to reminisce the performance of the last edition of the Sports Festival in Benin City, Edo State, when she leads the State’s team to another contest on Friday morning at same venue.
Ali Abdullahi and Simon Adah will file out on the 301 and 501 Male Category respectively.
The duo will know their opponents on the day of the competition.
3. DEAF TABLE TENNIS
Ahmed Musa beat his Bayelsa State opponent 3-1 in the round of 16 of Deaf Table Tennis but failed to bask in the euphoria of his victory as he lost to defending champion, Nurudeen from Delta State, in the Quarter-Finals on Thursday morning.
4. TABLE TENNIS
Earlier on Thursday, Coach Saleh Maikeke-tutored duo of Ajewole Abosede and Jimoh Toyin lost a nail-biting 2-3 to their Ondo State counterparts, Akinyinka Kehinde, and Onoja Agnes, as well as Adebayo Iyabo and Falodun Remilekun in the last eight of the Female Team Event.
They will now turn focus on the Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Events.
Also, Tomori Musediq and Hamza Musa both lost out 0-3 in the round of 16 of the Team’s event to their opponents from Borno State.
Like their female counterparts, they will now shift focus to the Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Events in the coming days.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Team Nasarawa will get involved in multiple Events on the Day 3 of the Sports Festival.
1. GOLF
By 6.30 in the morning on Friday, the Golf team of Nasarawa State will be at the Ibori Golf and Country Club, Asaba, to commence hostility in the Professional and Amateur events.
Team Nasarawa will feature in Amateur One, with five Male golfers comprising Saturday Utubor, Ben Attah, Ibrahim Abdullahi, Samuel Manchang Azi, and Joseph Yohanna in the Men’s Category One, while Comfort Adakole and Jennifer Atebwa will compete in the Female Category One.
2. BASKETBALL
Team Nasarawa Female Basketball players are aiming to make an immediate impact once they know their opponents by 7 o’clock in the morning on Friday at the Ogwashi-Uku Stadium, Ogwashi-Uku, Asaba.
3. BOXING
Samuel John(51kg), Habeeb Obayomi(57kg), Fatai(63.5kg), Tanko Ismaila(60kg) and Musa Yusuf(67kg) will all be in action on Friday when Boxing Events take centre stage.
The boxers will know their fight opponents on Friday morning after undergoing a successful weigh-in on Thursday.
4. PARA-POWERLIFTING
Benjamin Isaac Amedu is the sole representative of Team Nasarawa in the 59kg Class Male Category as Friday morning is packed with Para-Powerlifting activities at the New Gymnasium Hall, Stephen Keshi Stadium.
5. TAEKWONDO
Coach Lois Jerry is hopeful of winning the first medal for Team Nasarawa at the Sports Festival when her team gets into action by 8am on Friday in the Taekwondo Poomsea (Demonstration) Event.
The trio of Agada Elijah, Isah Ahmadu and Agada Ofu will represent the State in this Category.
They will also participate in the individual Poomsea Event.
6. PARA-TABLE TENNIS
Hussaini Ibrahim Habu will know his opponent on Friday morning before participating in the Para-Table Tennis Event on same day at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
7. CHESS
Also on Friday morning, a team of six Male players and one Female will represent Nasarawa State in the Chess Event.
Like other Sports, they are yet to know their rivals.
Chess holds at Grand Hotel, Nnebisi Road, Asaba.
8. SCRABBLE
After undergoing players’ ratings today, Team Nasarawa’s duo of Otuwose Aboki and Yusuf Sunusi will get into action on Friday morning by 8 o’clock.
They are yet to know their opponents, but the Coach Hussaini Almustapha-led Team will participate both in the Singles and Doubles categories respectively, at the New Multi-purpose Hall, Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.
9. JUDO
Following successful weigh-ins on Thursday evening, Team Nasarawa will know their fight opponents on Friday morning when Judo Event will hold.
Led by Olympic Coach, Bashir Bassey, Team Nasarawa will feature Isah Idris in the -60kg Male Category while Dorathy Kasimu will slug it out in the Female -48kg Category at the Event Centre, Okpanam Road, Asaba by 10 o’clock.
