Duro Ikhazuagbe
Defending champion Team Delta has continued its stronghold on Nigeria sports with its dominance of proceedings at the ongoing 19th National Sports Festival in Abuja.
The official medals table released as at Monday evening, Team Delta leads the others with a total haul of 32 medals made up of 20 gold, four silver and eight bronze medals.
The closest to Delta State is Rivers State who have so far won 23 medals made up of five gold, seven silver and 11 bronze. Kano is third with 14 medals made up of five gold, six silver and three bronze.
Edo State is fourth having displaced host FCT with 14 medals consisting of four gold, four silver and six bronze. Lagos have four gold, two silver and 12 bronze for 18 medals to stay in fifth place.
FCT is following behind in sixth place with seven medals of three gold, two silver and two bronze. Bayelsa is in seventh place by having 22 medals of two gold, 14 silver and six bronze.
Ondo State have two gold, no silver and no bronze to be in eighth place, while Oyo State have one gold, five silver and six bronze medals to place ninth.
The 19th NSF continues today with competitions in various sports.
Meanwhile, Delta State has joined the bid to stage the 2020 edition of the National Sports Festival. Former Delta State Commissioner for Sports, Chief Solomon Ogba revealed Delta’s ambition to stage the Games to reporters covering the festival in Abuja.
Only Edo State was in the running for the 2020 edition until Delta joined the race to host yesterday.
With 12 stadia scattered all over the state and the recently completed Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State stands head and shoulder above Edo in the bid to grab the hosting right.
OFFICIAL MEDALS TABLE
Team Gold Silver Bronze Total
Delta 20 4 8 32
Rivers. 5 7 11 23
Kano. 5 6 3 14
Edo. 4 4 6 14
Lagos 4 2 12 18
FCT 3 2 2 7
Bayelsa. 2 14 6 22
Ondo. 2 0 0 2
Oyo 1 5 6 12
Osun 1 1 0 2
Yobe 1 1 0 2
Abia. 1 0 2 3
Ogun 0 2 7 9
Benue 0 1 1 2
Bauchi 0 0 2 2
Kaduna 0 0 2 2
Anambra 0 0 1 1
Cross River. 0 0 1 1
Imo 0 0 1 1
Nasarawa 0 0 1 1
