By Hananeel Jackson
Team Bayelsa has shown a dominant performance in chess in the ongoing Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital after day four of the event.
Africa’s young chess sensation, Deborah Quickpen won gold in the female individual rapid event, Jessica Pelomo claimed silver while Sunshine Ebiakpo settled for a bronze medal. Deborah Quickpen also won gold in the female blitz event, Sunshine Ebiakpo went home with a silver.
Bayelsa equally won gold in the overall team event while Goodness Ekunke won silver in the male rapid individual event, Alagoa Ayibaenemibarakere clinched silver. Goodness Ekunke also secured silver in the individual rapid event in the competition.
John Agnes gave Bayelsa gold in swimming in the women’s 100m Backstroke. Claudius Godspower in the men’s para athletics event in Javelin won gold to increase team Bayelsa’s medals tally.
Swimming has so far won eighteen medals comprising nine gold, six silver and three bronze medals. The quartet of Dorcas Oka, John Agnes,Gift Obodo and Deinyefa Numbers triumphed with a gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay women’s event in swimming.
Bayelsa also secured two gold in wrestling in one of its areas of comparative advantage, winning two gold, one silver and a bronze medal. Table tennis also won two gold, one from the men’s single courtesy of Victor Kemela while second gold was won in men’s doubles thanks to Kemela and Oweifa while Rejoice Tukuru settled for silver.
In Basketball, Bayelsa women’s team annihilated Cross Rivers 55-21 to reach the semi finals of the spectacle while the Handball women’s settled for 18-17 to qualify into the semi finals of the fiesta.
Two canoeing athletes have progressed to the finals of 200m, 500m and mixed C2 500m in both men and women slated at the Ibom Five Star Hotel, Marina Beach. Faith Ezechukwu in athletics qualified for the 400m women’s finals. Chucks ran a time of 46.53 secs in the 400m heat to qualify in the men’s finals.
Athletics events continue today by 3:00pm at the Godswill Akpabio international Stadium.
Bayelsa currently occupied the second position as of the time of filing this report amassing 52 medals, 28 gold, 15 silver, nine bronze medals at the end of day four of the Niger Delta Sports Festival.
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