Day 8 of the 2024 National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games, delivered another thrilling chapter with medal glories, shock results, and inspiring performances across in events like scrabble, beach volleyball, judo, and men’s hockey.
Scrabble brilliance: Bayelsa makes double gold statement
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In the scrabble events, Team Bayelsa confirmed its status as a word-powerhouse, clinching gold medals in both Intermediate and Masters categories.
In the Intermediate class, Bright Ohaka outplayed the field to seize gold, while David Ojih of Ogun and Babajide Alagbada of Osun settled for silver respectively.
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In the fiercely contested Masters division, it was a familiar name that emerged top: Ben Quickpen of Bayelsa claimed the gold, edging out George Ezinore of Edo who took silver, and Rex Ogbakpa of Delta who clinched bronze.
Kaduna rules the sand: Beach Volleyball sweep
Team Kaduna lit up the beach volleyball courts, clinching double gold in both the male and female events, confirming their dominance in the sport at this year’s festival.
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In the men’s final, Kaduna defeated Rivers State to secure gold, while their female counterparts stunned hosts Ogun to complete the perfect sweep.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Adamu Mohammed, Secretary of the Kaduna State Volleyball Association (KADSVA), hailed the performance and credited the team’s success to strong support and preparation.
“We are not surprised about the outcome of this result. Our chairman, Engineer Musa Nimrod, who is also the President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), ensured proper camping and motivation for the team,” Mohammed said.
“We are happy and we congratulate His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani, our Sports Commissioner Professor Ben Gugong, ministry staff, athletes, and the people of Kaduna for this victory.”
Hockey semifinal showdown: Oyo outguns Lagos
In men’s hockey, Team Oyo stormed into the final with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Team Lagos.
Goal scorers for Oyo included Toluwani Odedokun (2 goals), David Ademola (1), and Kayode Oladiran (1), while Azeez Dosunmu grabbed a consolation goal for Lagos.
Final match details:
Oyo vs Kaduna
Date: 27 May, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Venue: Ijebu-Ode Stadium
Judo update: Osun breaks through
In judo (73kg category), Team Osun made a statement by defeating Team Lagos to secure a spot in the semifinals, adding to the surprises on a day packed with shifting momentum across multiple sports.
As the Gateway Games 2025 heads into its final stages, the competition is intensifying with underdog stories, dominant champions, and historic feats lighting up the tracks, mats, and courts across Ogun State.
Medals table
Team Delta extended its lead at the top of the medals table on Day 8 of the 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF), capitalising on a strong showing in taekwondo, swimming, and cycling events to pull away from early front-runners Bayelsa.
The Gateway Games, hosted across Abeokuta and other cities across Ogun State continued to deliver dramatic moments but another significant power outage disrupted the indoor table tennis event of the day.
Delta maintains top spot, Bayelsa trails
Delta now leads the medal standings with 47 gold, 23 silver, and 47 bronze medals, totaling 103.
Bayelsa, who had previously led the table, fell to second with 37 gold, 26 silver, and 25 bronze (total: 88). Rivers, Ogun, and Edo round out the top five.
READ ALSO: NSF: Sokoto, Ogun storm into women’s handball semifinals at Gateway Games
Top 5 Medal Table (Day 8):
1. Delta – 52 Gold | 23 Silver | 47 Bronze | 122 Total
2. Bayelsa – 37 Gold | 26 Silver | 25 Bronze | 88 Total
3. Ogun – 30 Gold | 19 Silver | 29 Bronze | 78 Total
4. Rivers – 28 Gold | 22 Silver | 27 Bronze | 77 Total
5. Edo – 23 Gold | 54 Silver | 53 Bronze | 130 Total
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