Team Edo Emerges Overall Champions of 2nd Niger Delta Games

*Enabulele dedicates end to 24-year wait for regional supremacy to Gov. Okpebholo

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Team Edo was officially crowned overall champions of the 2nd Niger Delta Games which ended last night inside the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

The hosts state amassed a total of 52 gold, 34 silver, and 25 bronze medals  to end a 24-year wait for regional supremacy and reaffirmed Edo’s  status as a dominant force in Nigerian sports.

Arch rival, Delta State, finished a distant second with 39 gold, 29 silver, and 34 bronze medals (102 total), while Bayelsa that won the inaugural edition last year in Uyo settled for third this time with 25 gold, 24 silver, and 26 bronze medals.

The fiercely contested medal race that stretched to the final day, also witnessed Team Akwa Ibom finishing fourth with 16 gold medals among its 55 total medals, followed by Abia in fifth with 45 medals. Cross River placed sixth with 38 medals, Ondo seventh with 34, Rivers eighth with 44 medals but fewer gold, and Imo rounded off the table in ninth position with 31 medals.

Reacting to the landmark achievement, the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, through his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, described the victory as a defining moment in the state’s sporting history and dedicated the triumph to the Executive Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa.

“This victory belongs to His Excellency, our dynamic and sports-loving Governor,” Enabulele declared.

“From the very beginning, he made it clear that Edo would not only host but compete to win. He provided the vision, the resources, and the enabling environment that empowered our athletes to perform at their very best”, he said.

He emphasized that the Governor’s commitment to sports development, improved welfare packages for athletes and coaches, and strategic investments in training and facilities laid the foundation for the historic success.

“Breaking a 24-year jinx is not a coincidence,” Enabulele stated.

“It is the product of intentional leadership, disciplined preparation, and the resilience of our athletes. His Excellency believes strongly in youth empowerment through sports, and today, that belief has translated into gold medals and statewide pride”, he added.

The Sports Commission Chairman also commended the athletes, coaches, technical crew, and support staff for their discipline, focus, and determination throughout the week-long competition.

“Our athletes competed with courage and unity. They carried the pride of Edo on their shoulders and delivered beyond expectations. I am immensely proud of their sportsmanship and fighting spirit. This triumph is a message to the nation that Edo is back, stronger and better.

The second edition of the Niger Delta Games brought together over 3,000 athletes from the nine Niger Delta states competing in 17 sporting events.

The festival was sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and widely celebrated for its organization and competitive intensity.

FINAL MEDALS TABLE

G.      S.     B.      Total

Edo.               52.     34.   25.     111

Delta.            39.     29.   34.     102

Bayelsa.        25.     24.   26.     75

Akwa Ibom.   16.     17.    22.     55

Abia                9.       20.   17.      46

Cross River.   9.       7.      22.    38

Ondo.               7.       13.     14.    34

Rivers.             6.       16.     24.    46

Imo.                  5.       8.       18.     31