Jude Agbeyeke
Team Delta contingent to the 2025 South-South Zonal Elimination for the 2025 National Sports Festival shown like a million stars after an unprecedented performance that saw the state qualify for 12 team sports out of the earmarked 17.
Team Delta qualified in the male and female football event, male and female hockey event, male and female basketball event, while also qualifying in the Abula female and mixed doubles event as well as Cricket male event male volleyball event and male and female handball events.
The contingent which had begun the competition in rather inconsistent fashion on the first day drew inspiration from the clarion call of the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission Mr. Onoriode Oborevwori not to allow their earlier performances deter them from picking the available tickets on offer.
The athletes inspired by the chairman’s words began the day on a solid note as the Abula mixed double claimed victory against Teams Bayelsa and Edo claiming 2-0 victories in both games before losing 2-1 to Team Rivers to finish second behind thee garden city landlords.
The female Team however emerged top in the zone after brushing aside all competitions from Teams Edo Rivers and Bayelsa.
Team Delta also picked two available tickets in Basketball as both the Male and female teams qualified after beating Team Akwa Ibom 48-43 and Team Edo 59-51 in the Male category while routing Team Edo 60 – 44 in the female category to finish second in both categories.
The male and female handball teams were not left out in thee strong showing as Team Delta rallied from a set down to dump Team Edo 3 – 1 in the Male category to finish second while it’s female counterparts crushed Team Bayelsa 3-0 t also finish in second place.
The states team in Handball also picked the tickets in thee male and female categories after beating Akwa Ibom 29-18 in the Male category while the women qualified despite losing 27-17 to their Edo counterparts.
The male and female Hockey Teams dominated thee zone to place top in both categories with male team in Cricket placing second behind Team Edo.
The sweetest was saved for the last as Team Delta for the first time in thee annals of the state’s participation at thee biennial sports fiesta claimed tickets in the Male and female football categories.
Delta which finished second in the Male category had been forced to a 1-1 draw by Team Edo who finished tops after winning two matches and a draw.
The Male Team drew 2 matches and won one after beating Team Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom.
While Team Delta defeated Akwa Ibom by a lone goal and drew against Bayelsa and Edo to finish with 5 points.
In the female category Team Delta thrashed Bayelsa 3-0 in the last match to finish tops despite losing by 2 – 1 to hostess Edo while Edo placed second ahead of Bayelsa.
Speaking after the match the Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission Mr. Onoriode Oborevwori accompanied by the Director General of the Commission Mr. Festus Ohwojero and other top management staff lauded thee quick release of funds by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori as well as the doggedness of the athletes as key to the state’s unprecedented performance.
Mr. Oborevwori also thanked God for giving the state victory saying the athletes must now work harder as they would be facing the best in the country saying every lapses noticed would be addressed ahead of the biennial sports fiesta in Ogun later in the year.
He assured the athletes that their welfare remained paramount to Governor Oborevwori who had promised that the athletes would be well catered for.
He also thanked Deltans for their support in prayer and support saying the state contingent would not disappoint at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta later in the year.
