This coverage is sponsored by Hon. Engr. Esosa Iyawe, Representative, Oredo Federal Constituency
Medals harvesting continue at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State as Team Lagos leaped to the top of the medals table in what could be termed as a surprising lead.
Ganiyat Olarinoye, Onome Didhi and Opeyemi Quadri all mounted the podium as Team Lagos topped the medals chart with unbridled aspirations. Ganiyat Ronke Olarinoye won 1 gold and 1 bronze. Zainab Opeyemi Quadri won silver in the 49kg Women’s Snatch event. Onome Omolola Didhi bagged two gold medals —lifted 93kg in 55kg women’s Snatch and 205kg in 55kg before she added another silver in women’s 55kg Clean and Jerk with a lift of 122kg. Joy Ifeoma China added a bronze medal to keep the team ahead of other states.
Team Cross River amassed 3 gold medals. King Kalu Ufiem started the gold mining with a 93kg lift in Men’s Snatch 55kg. He added two more gold medals with a 122kg lift in the 55kg men’s Clean and Jerk and an additional 215kg lift to make it a hat trick of gold for Cross Rivers in day 2.
Team Invited Junior Athletes (IJA), who gathered 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal. Esther Amarachi starred for the team with 2 gold and 1 silver medals in the 45kg women category with results of 64, 82 and 164 Kg respectively, and is also not doing badly on the medals table. Adding to the medal haul of Team IJA on day 2 was Scholastica Terkumbur Faith, who won Bronze in the 45kg women’s category.
Team Rivers sits third with 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal all in Women’s Weightlifting. Christiana Olloma won two silver and one bronze medals in the 45kg while Ruth Nyong lifted 79kg in the 49kg Snatch.
For Bayelsa, Nnadozie Elvis Enechi lifted 93kg to win silver in the 55kg Snatch, as Solomon John lifted 117kg in the 55kg men’s Clean and Jerk and 207kg in the 55kg men’s category to take home one silver and one bronze.
The “Big Heart of the Nation” — Team Delta has Ebelechuku Venessa Agba to thank for winning 1 gold in the women’s 49kg Clean and Jerk event, lifting 98kg to achieve the feat. She also went on to lift 164kg in the 49kg category to earn a silver medal.
Temidayo Adunni Jegede and Adamma Dorcas Ayingba earned a total of four medals for Team Kano, to also register their name on the medals sheet before day 2 ran out. Adanna lifted 71kg in 49 the Snatch Weightlifting event to earn a bronze medal and another 157kg in the 49kg ot Clean and Jerk event for her second bronze medal. Her teammate, Temidayo Adunni Jegede, lifted 98kg in Women’s 55kg Clean and Jerk to win Bronze, 71kg in 55kg Snatch to claim a Silver medal and another silver medal feat in 55kg women’s Clean & Jerk, lifting 175kg.
Oluwatobiloba Adeyemi Ishola remains the only star man for Team Oyo, so far with one bronze and one silver medal in 55kg Snatch and Clean &Jerk, respectively. As the day climaxed, Commonwealth champion, Rafiat Lawal of Team Oyo, surged ahead to clinch three gold medals for the Pace Setters in the 55kg class of Women’s powerlifting.
Team Ekiti and Team Ogun also have their names printed on the medals table with 1 medal each. The Fountain of Knowledge —Team Ekiti’s Abayomi Adeleye Joshua claimed a bronze medal, lifting 92kg in the 55kg Men’s Snatch, while for the host state, Monica Jumoke Uweh lifted 88kg in a 49kg women’s Clean and Jerk to win the bronze medal.
Theresa Okon Daniel also lifted 133kg in the Clean and Jerk in women’s 55kg to win gold for the state.