NSF: Team Delta leads on medals table as Obi breaks swimming record

Despite initial uncertainties around the continuation of the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin City, Edo State, athletes at the 20th edition of the biennial sporting event have continued to churn out fantastic performances.

Team Delta with 32 gold, 25 silver and 15 bronze medals as at the close of hostilities on Thursday night are still comfortably leading the medals table.

Team Bayelsa is in second place with 20 gold, eight silver, and 15 bronze medals while hosts Team Edo are in third place with 18 gold, 24 silver, and 21 bronze medals.

Rivers follow in 4th place with eight gold, six silver, and twelve bronze medals, and Team Imo rounds off the top five with four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.

Seven states including Taraba, Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu, Jigawa, and Kogi are yet to register on the medals table at the festival which comes to an end on April 14.

In some of the eye-catching performances from Thursday’s events, Collins Obi won gold for Team Kano with a new NSF record of 53.92s in the 100m Freestyle, eclipsing the former record of 54.33s set by Ifeakachukwu Nmor of Team Delta at the 2018 edition in Abuja.

Obi’s 100m Freestyle gold was his third of the games adding to silver medals in the 200m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly events on Thursday at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival in Benin City, Edo State.

Another athlete shining in the swimming event is Team Bayelsa’s Ifiezegbe Gagbe. Ifiezegbe took her medal haul to five gold medals with victories in the 100m, 200m, and 400m Freestyle, 1500m, and 400m Medley.

Away from the pool, there was a big upset in the Scrabble Event where Team Rivers’ Nsikak Etim Solomon shocked favourite Jighere Wellington of Team Delta to win the Masters Singles title with Team Edo’s George Ezinore settling for bronze.

In the men’s 63kg Taekwondo event, Team Zamfara’s Idris Faremi defeated Mohammed Lawal of Team Kano to win gold with the latter taking home the silver medal while Team Kebbi’s Jemilu Danbaba took Bronze.

Meanwhile, Oyo State claimed six bronze medals in the Kickboxing event with Adegboyega Aminat, Adegboyega Kaosarat, Adeyemi Jamiu, Muili Toheeb, Fidelis James, and Akanbi Kehinde all winning bronze in their respective categories.

The action continues in various events Friday as the NSF gradually approaches the end.