By Chinedum Ohanusi & Kehinde Osagiede
Action in the 9th National Youth Games enters day four with Team Edo hoping to improve on its medal haul in many fronts, and in many events.
At the close of the day’s events yesterday, athletes from Edo State continued to maintain their impressive outing, by posting outstanding performances across various sports, especially in Gymnastics, Weightlifting and Karate.
The gold rush began for the team on the very first day of action, when their weightlifters harvested three gold medals through Favour Cornelius; as the state’s lifters once again proved that weightlifting is still a stronghold for the harvest of medals.
Beauty Akpore extended the streak by carting home three gold medals in the 53kg snatch and 80kg clean and jerk events for Girls, a feat she achieved ahead of the lifters from Lagos (Silver) and Plateau (Bronze).
At the last count, Weightlifting alone has contributed 9 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals to Team Edo’s medal haul, as at Sunday.
Gymnastics, is another sport that has been, and is still a stronghold of Edo State at this and previous Youth Games. That status was preserved by their gymnasts in Asaba where the lifters mined 5 Gold and 2 Silver medals, on Day 3; with Wisdom Ikede alone decorated with three individual Gold medals, whilst Aliu Solomon and Ocheke Excel added 1 Gold, and 1 Silver each; to increase the medal haul.
Edo State swimmers, and its swimming association also wrote their names in Gold in Asaba, with Tissa Precious proving to be consistent in mining gold, at every tournament he has competed in.
Precious clinched Gold in the 50 metres (Boys) freestyle, and Team Edo’s 4x100m relay team afterwards added a Silver medal to the haul.
Likewise, the Edo Rugby team made an impressive outing with dominant displays, by whitewashing Ogun State 17-0 and Abia 5-0 in the team event, to reach the semi-finals in the Girls category of the game. Edo State golfers also had eye-catching victories in the Boys category; where they demolished Abia 31-0 , and despite losing narrowly 0-5 to host State Delta the team qualified for the semi-finals.
Elsewhere, the Edo State Beach Volleyball team came to the party with enterprising stars, as the Girls team defeated their Niger State counterparts 2-0, just as their Boys team overpowered Team Oyo by the same 2-0 scoreline; a result that ensures that both sides advanced to the next stage.
Team Edo has also bagged bronze in traditional game – Ayo doubles (Boys), finishing behind Delta (Gold) and Lagos State (Silver). Conversely, the Girls doubles team unfortunately crashed out at the quarterfinal stage, after a 0-2 loss to Team Oyo.
In Para Table Tennis, Ivie Peculiar Edogiawerie and Quadri Adekunle Mustapha won the bronze, in the mixed doubles event; and at the close of competition on Sunday, Team Edo has been able to secure 17 Gold, 4 Silver, and 6 Bronze medals – that’s a total of 27 medals.
