Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) trials for the upcoming World University Games in Chengdu, China, have been successfully concluded.
The three-day intense competition from May 8th to May 11th, 2023, saw Nigerian undergraduates competed for places in athletics, badminton, judo, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, and tennis as Nigeria prepare for the world stage in the Far East.
The athletics and judo events were held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium,
while badminton, taekwondo, and table tennis took place at the indoor sports hall at the University of Benin.
One of the highlights of the trials was the women’s 100m race, where Asemota Marvelous of Benson Idahosa University finished first in a time of 11.4, while Victory Owhovoriole of the University of Port Harcourt came in second in 11.5.
The men’s final was also highly competitive, with Musa Kola-Nurain of the University of Ilorin finishing in first place with a time of 10.1, closely followed by Paul Destiny Obumwo of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education.
In other sports, Vivian Oku of the University of Calabar won the women’s
single table tennis event, while Akinduro Gabriel took the men’s single event.
Amadu Bello University Zaria’s Mustapha Muhammed dominated the men’s singles in badminton, while Sofiat Onisola of the University of
Ilorin took the women’s competition.
The President of NUGA, Mr. Emeka Ogbu, expressed satisfaction with the level of competition and congratulated the winners.
According to him, “The NUGA World University Games trials have been a resounding success, and we are proud
of the talents that have emerged from this competition. We are confident
that they will represent Nigeria well at the World University Games in
Chengdu.”
Ogbu added that the list of athletes who will represent Nigeria at the World University Games will be released to the press soon.
“NUGA will like to thank the government of Edo State and the management
of the University of Benin for providing the association with the best facilities to conduct its trials. We will also like to thank all the athletes, coaches, and officials who participated in the trials, as well as the fans who came out to support the young athletes. The trials were a great success, and NUGA looks forward to more successful events in the future,” Ogbu declared.
