Edo end 24-year wait, clinch 2nd Niger Delta Games title in style

By Maxwell Kumoye and Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye in Benin City 
 
 

Team Edo has finally banished a 24-year title drought, storming to victory at the second edition of the Niger Delta Games with a commanding performance on home soil.

Roared on by a passionate crowd at the iconic Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, the hosts topped the medals table with an impressive haul of 52 gold, 34 silver and 25 bronze medals, 111 in total to dethrone traditional heavyweights Delta and defending champions Bayelsa.

It is Edo’s first major tournament triumph since the 2002 National Sports Festival they hosted, and it came in emphatic fashion.

Across the week-long regional showdown, Edo athletes delivered standout displays in weightlifting, athletics, boxing and swimming, pushing the title race to the wire before surging clear on the final day. 

Their resilience and discipline proved decisive as Delta settled for second with 39 gold, 29 silver and 34 bronze medals, while Bayelsa slipped to third with 25 gold, 24 silver and 26 bronze.

Akwa Ibom finished fourth, ahead of Abia, with Cross River, Ondo, Rivers and Imo completing the standings in a fiercely competitive sports fiesta that featured over 3,000 athletes from nine states competing in 17 sports.

Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Honourable Amadin Desmond Enabulele, described the triumph as the result of meticulous preparation, improved athlete welfare and an unshakeable belief in winning at home.

He hailed the courage, unity and fighting spirit of the athletes and dedicated the historic victory to Governor Monday Okpebholo for his unwavering support.

Enabulele also commended the Niger Delta Development Commission and organisers Dunamis Icon Ltd for successfully staging the Games in Edo.

“Edo is back on track. This is just the beginning of a new dawn,” he declared. “Our grassroots talent discovery policy is working. We didn’t just win, we set a new standard for excellence.”

For Team Edo, the heartbeat is pounding again and the rest of the Niger Delta has been put on notice.

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