Ongoing Sports Festival: Bayelsa Surpass Edo 2020 Medals Haul

As Tima Godbless Wins 200m Race

Bayelsa State contingents to the ongoing National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State have surpassed the state’s record in the last edition in Edo State with 3 days to the end of the sporting fiesta.

As at last night, Bayelsa is standing firmly in second position on the medals table with 92 gold, 76 silver and 75 bronze making a total of 243 medals so far.

At Edo 2020, Bayelsa posted a total of 169 medals comprising of 56 gold, 55 silver and 58 bronze behind the Champion, Delta State and host Edo that placed second.

But at the 2022 sports festival, Team Bayelsa though sure of a podium finish is about to set another record of placing second in the competition for the first time in the history of their participation.

Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Daniel Igali, who is excited at the result so far said they were working hard to meet the charge given to them by the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for the team to surpass their last record of 3rd placed.

In the meantime, yesterday evening, Team Bayelsa clinched gold in the women’s 200 metres final at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Asaba, tagged “Delta 2022.”

Nigeria’s sprint sensation Tima Godbless won the gold medal for Team Bayelsa dusting her Delta opponent, Okwosa Faith in a time of 23.07 seconds while Okwosa Faith got the Silver medal as she ran a time of 23.62 seconds.

Aladeloye Adetutu of Rivers State settled for bronze in 23:66 seconds.

Earlier,Team Bayelsa won Gold in the 4×100 mix relay with Tima Godbless increasing her gold tally to three, made up of two individual and one team medal having won a bronze earlier in the day.

The breakdown of Team Bayelsa performance on Thursday indicates that wrestling and swimming produced the highest number of medals, 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze and 4 gold, 4 gold, 2 Silver.

Canoeing and Kayak recorded 2 gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze as Basketball female team beat hosts, Delta State 43-35 points to win the gold medal just as gymnastics recorded 1 gold, 2 Silver, 1 bronze.

Boxing also gave Bayelsa 1 gold,1silver, 2 bronze, bringing the total medals the team recorded on day 8 to 46 comprising 16 Gold, 19 Silver, 11 bronze as the Festival gets into the penultimate day.

An elated Tima Godbless in interview shortly after her triumph thanked the Almighty God and her coaches for the victory, stressing that she came prepared for the National Sports Festival.

Hosts, Delta still lead with 369 medals: 194 gold, 88 Silver, 59 Bronze, followed by Bayelsa State with 243 medals comprising of 92 gold, 76 silver and 75 bronze.

Edo are currently in third position.