Delta Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, addressing Team Delta at the Indoor Sports Hall, Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, shortly before the contingent departed to Edo for the 20th National Sports Festival, Friday. PIX: BRIPIN ENARUSAI/JIBUNOR SAMUEL
Defending champions Delta on Tuesday won more gold medals to gain an unassailable lead and put a gap between them and the rest at the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF).
Team Delta took their tally to a total of 298 medals, comprising 124 gold, 91 silver and 83 bronze, to maintain their lead and mathematically emerge champions of the festival.
What this means is that, with just a few events to be decided and on the festival’s penultimate day, Team Delta have retained their title again.
This is based on the medals table released by the festival’s Games Services Unit as at 4:33 p.m. on Tuesday.
Hosts Edo, Delta’s nearest challengers, will now need to win 21 gold medals at least to upstage them.
The hosts presently have 103 gold, 97 silver and 85 bronze for a total of 285 medals.
Bayelsa are a distant third with 48 gold, 42 silver and 49 bronze for a total of 139 medals, while Rivers are in fourth place.
They have 27 gold, 27 silver and 47 bronze for a total of 101 medals, ahead of Lagos in fifth place with 22 gold, 27 silver and 43 bronze medals.
Akwa Ibom are in sixth place with 77 medals, made up of 17 gold, 21 silver and 39 bronze, edging Oyo state into seventh place with just a two-medal advantage.
Oyo state are with 17 gold, 19 silver and 28 bronze for a total of 64 medals.
In eighth position are Ogun with 13 gold, 14 silver and 31 bronze for a total of 58 medals, while Kano state are ninth.
They have 11 gold, 16 silver and 29 bronze for a total of 56 medals.
Plateau are 10th with eight gold, nine silver and 15 bronze for a total of 32 medals.
Abia, Imo, Cross River, FCT, Ondo state, Anambra, Kwara, Nasarawa state, Kaduna state and Bauchi state occupy the 11th to 20th positions in that order.
Niger, Ebonyi, Enugu state, Ekiti, Borno, Osun, Gombe state, Zamfara, Yobe, Katsina state, Kebbi, Kogi, Adamawa, Sokoto state, Benue and Taraba also occupy the 21st to 36th positions respectively.
Jigawa bring up the rear with no medal won after 10 days of competition.
The festival which got underway with the arrival of athletes and officials on April 2 got into competition mode on April 6.
The festival tagged “Edo 2029” will officially end on Wednesday, with all participants scheduled to depart on Thursday.(NAN)
