By Hananeel Jackson
The camp of team Bayelsa in the ongoing National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State came alive on Friday with rain of medals in various sports.
The 21st National Sports Festival has been characteristized with poor organization, lack of shuttle buses to venues and inability of the media to access the medal table after day three of the spectacle.
Taekwondo gave team Bayelsa the first gold medal of the showpiece in poomsae male with outstanding display from Oluwasesan Abodunrin, they also got silver in individual poomsae female, and two bronze in individual poomsae male.
Golf recorded the second gold for Bayelsa as Solomon Ideriah won gold in the stroke play to clinch the gold, Cycling had earlier given Bayelsa silver and bronze as cycling event continues tomorrow.
Festus Zekiesuevie and Anointing Moses won silver medal in para table while Godspower Moses and Taritimi Akene could only settle for a bronze. In deaf table tennis Bobo Oziri and Begold Ebinyo also won bronze to make three bronze in deaf table tennis.
It was a bad start for the State female football team as they were pipped 1-0 by Kaduna State at the Ogwashi Ukwu stadium while male football and Lagos State played out a goalless draw.
In Basketball host Delta beat Bayelsa 27-24 despite controlling the game, they are now focused for tomorrow’s encounter against Ondo State by 8am while Delta will face Abia, Rivers will battle Nasarawa State.
Team Bayelsa have amassed a total of 14 medals, 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 8 bronze as of the time of filing this report.
Bayelsa State Taekwondo coach, Judith Darusha -Williams in an interview said she was elated with the performance of the taekwondist, saying that the result has opened the floodgate of gold for Bayelsa.
She assured the people of Bayelsa State of more medals to surpass Edo 2020 record in Benin City.
Two taekwondo players Oluwasesan Abodunrin and Osajie Ruth noted that they are happy to represent Bayelsa in this year’s Sports Festival, pointing out that the team was prepared for the fiesta having finished third in the last edition.
In the meantime, commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Daniel Igali has assured Bayelsans of a podium finish in the 21st National Sports Festival.
Igali while accessing the performance of the team said the contingents are in Asaba to compete for medals in every sports, explaining that the allowances and athletes entitlement have been paid.
He announced an instant reward of two hundred thousand naira for every gold medal won, one hundred thousand for silver and fifty thousand naira for bronze medal aside the normal government reward for athletes who have made the state proud.
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