Determined to retain its title at the fast approaching 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State, Team Delta, against all odds, picked 12 tickets out of the 16 sports in both male and female categories at the south-south zonal elimination for team sports held in Benin City, Edo State.
The south-south zonal elimination attended by host Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom saw Team Delta dominate in football (male and female); handball (male and female); basketball (male and female); volleyball (male); Abula (female and mixed doubles); hockey (male and female) and cricket (male).
Edo picked eight tickets to place second, winning five female spots and three male tickets. Rivers picked seven tickets made up of four male tickets, two in the female categories and one Mixed Doubles. Bayelsa was fourth with six tickets (three male and three female), while Akwa Ibom was fifth with just one ticket won by the female team. Cross River did not show up at the South-south zonal elimination.
The Executive Chairman, Delta State Sports Commission, Mr Onoriode Oborevwori, commended the athletes and their officials for the team’s outing, stating that the performance has given the government and people of their readiness to dominate the country again at the Gateway Games.
But, he reminded the athletes and coaches against complacency emphasising the importance of early camping to ensure the state maintains her number one position at the 22nd National Sports Festival.
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