Asaba 2022: Delta Uncatchable, Rivers Surges To Sixth

As the 21st National Sports Festival, Asaba 2022 enters its penultimate day, Team Delta, the perennial top finishers at the festival has lived up to its promise to host and win comfortably. As at press time, official medals table indicates that Delta has amassed an unassailable lead with a total haul of 369 medals, 194 gold, 116 silver and 59 bronze. Bayelsa comes a distant second with 78 gold, 57 silver and 54 bronze medals, while Edo is on third with 38gold, 51 silver and 97 bronze medals. Meanwhile, Team Rivers has surged upwards on the medals table, climbing to the sixth position as at the time of this report. The team garnered, officially, 16 gold, 23 silver and 71 bronze medals.
Despite having a mixed day yesterday, Team Rivers added to their kitty a gold and silver medals from basketball,en and women, respectively, silver from 4×100 metres mixed relay, silver from 4×400 mixed relay race, bronze in 200 metres, men and bronze in para wheel chair 800metres, women.
It is hoped that the team would still harvest medals to try to climb up the ladder.
In another development, the Commissioner for Sports, Delta State and Chairman of the Asaba 2022 Festival, Charles Aniagwuhas commiserated with the family of the athlete, Chukwuemeka Igboanugo, 25, who lost his life after losing a boxing contest at the festival.
He said that his and Delta state’s condolences were being sent out to the government,people and contingent of Imo, who he was representing, the body of athletes in Nigeria and the Nigeria n Boxing Federation.
He said that the deceased died a hero in his attempt to represent his state and the country and went ahead to appeal to news men to be cautious in the way they report the incident in respect to the feelings of the deceased family.
The Commissioner explained that all necessary steps were taken to provide necessary medical facilities and personnel to handle health and accident related incidents. He however, noted that some mishaps are beyond human intervention, no matter how well one anticipates or handles them.

By: Gabriel Nwanetanya