Thursday marked another dawn of more cheering news for Team Nasarawa who are participating at the 1st National Para-Sports Festival in Abuja.
Firstly, the State’s Deaf Football Team made it to the final of the event after putting up a scintillating performance against their perennial rivals, Team Kano, eliminating them 3-1 via penalty shootout following a 2-2 regulation time scoreline.
The heartwarming result pitches the spirited Team Nasarawa against their oriental counterparts, Team Abia, in the final slated for Friday, 15th April, at the training pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, by 10 o’clock in the morning.
Team Abia had beaten Team Plateau 2-1 in the other Semi-finals’ clash.
Relatedly, despite winning their protest against Team Bauchi and defeating Team Kano 2-1 in the Quarter-finals stage, Team Nasarawa Para-Soccer could not tow the path of the Deaf Football Team as they lost 2-1 to Team Plateau, but they will aim to get, at least, a Bronze Medal, when they take on Team Bayelsa in the third-place play-off on Friday morning.
Hopes for medals in Para-Powerlifting Team were dashed as no athlete of the State made it through to the medals’ status on Thursday.
However, it was celebration galore as Joy Iorguma added another medal in the kitty after clinching Gold in the F55/56 Female Javelin Throw on Thursday morning.
She had, a day before, had her Bronze Medal in Discuss Throw upgraded to Silver Medal after the former holder was stripped on the grounds of doping.
Similarly, Gideon Ahmedu won Bronze Medal in Discuss Male F11 Blind on Wednesday while Monday Bitrus won Bronze Medal in the 800m T45/46/47 Men’s Amputees’ Category.
Raphael Iorkohol also won Bronze Medal in Shot Put F42/44 Leg Amputee cadre.
Moses Monday Bitrus equally won Bronze Medal in the 400m T45/46/47 Men’s Classification.
Earlier, Bitrus Moses who won Bronze Medal in the 800m Deaf Athletics had his medal upgraded to Gold after the first and second-place winners were disqualified on the grounds of doping, while Anastasia Otuwose also got her Bronze Medal upgraded to Silver in the Women’s 800m Deaf Athletics due to similar reason.
This recent development brings to sixteen (16) the total number of medals won by Team Nasarawa at the Event, which comprise four Gold, five Silver and seven Bronze Medals respectively.
There are high hopes that Team Nasarawa will increase the medal tally on the closing day of the Festival when both the Deaf Football and Para-Soccer Teams get into action for the final and third-place play-off, respectively.
The National Para-Sports Festival Games, organized by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, began on 9th April and will climax on Friday, 15th April, 2022.
Team Nasarawa, with a total contingent members of 79, made up of 55 athletes, eleven coaches and nine accompanying officials, are competing in five sport events, which include Para-Soccer, Deaf Football, Para-Table Tennis, Para-Powerlifting and Para-Athletics.
Fifteen sporting events were approved by Organizers of the Games for participation .
Twenty-two States and FCT, Abuja, are participating at the Festival.
