The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Sports Festival (NSF)

  • 22nd  NSF: Flamingos  to face  Team Delta in female football final

    22nd  NSF: Flamingos  to face  Team Delta in female football final

    The Golden Eaglets will contest for the bronze medals of the male football event of the ongoing 22nd  National Sports Festival (NSF), after they lost 1-2 to Team Ogun in the second semi-finals of the event in Ikenne-Remo on Sunday.

    In the first semi-final, Team Kwara defeated Team Kaduna by a lone goal to qualify for the final of the male football event, which will be held on Tuesday at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex.

    In the female event, Nigeria’s U17 boys, Flamingos flew their way into the final after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Team Ogun. Shakirat Moshood made no mistake from six yards after the 2022 FIFA World Cup bronze medallists were awarded a penalty with minutes left in the encounter.

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    They will now face Team Delta in Tuesday’s grand finale, after the latter dismissed Team Osun 4-1 in the first semi-final.

    The third-place matches will take place at the Remo Stars Stadium, while the final of the male and female events will hold at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta.

    The Golden Eaglets and Flamingos are participating in the 22nd National Sports Festival as part of the praiseworthy Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative of the National Sports Commission.

  • FULL LIST: Delta tops NSF medal table with 103 medals

    FULL LIST: Delta tops NSF medal table with 103 medals

    …as Bayelsa, Rivers, Ogun trail behind

    Team Delta has taken a commanding lead in the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Gateway Games 2024, being held in Ogun State, with a total of 103 medals at the end of Day Seven.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Delta’s medal haul includes 44 gold, 19 silver, and 40 bronze medals, putting them well ahead of the competition.

    Bayelsa State follows in second place with 33 gold, 23 silver, and 23 bronze medals, bringing their total to 79, while Rivers State occupies third position with 26 gold, 21 silver, and 26 bronze medals.

    Host state Ogun is currently in fourth place with 25 gold, 16 silver, and 24 bronze medals, and Oyo State completes the top five with 14 gold, 17 silver, and 21 bronze.

    In total, 709 medals have been awarded across all events so far. Notably, Taraba State has made its first appearance on the medals table, securing one silver medal.

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    The National Sports Festival, held every two years, is a major multi-sport event organized by the Federal Government. It brings together athletes from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to compete in various sporting disciplines, fostering unity, excellence, and sportsmanship nationwide.

    STATE TEAM | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL

    1. Delta – 44 | 19 | 40 | 103

    2. Bayelsa – 33 | 23 | 23 | 79

    3. Rivers – 26 | 21 | 26 | 73

    4. Ogun – 25 | 16 | 24 | 65

    5. Oyo – 16 | 17 | 21 | 54

    6. Edo – 14 | 48 | 45 | 107

    7. Lagos – 11 | 11 | 25 | 47

    8. Osun – 10 | 1 | 4 | 15

    9. Abia – 6 | 8 | 21 | 35

    10. Plateau – 4 | 3 | 11 | 18

     11. Akwa Ibom – 4 | 3 | 4 | 11

    12. FCT. – 3 | 2 | 6 | 11

    13. Cross River – 3 | 1 | 1 | 5

    14. Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) – 2 | 5 | 2 | 9

    15. Anambra – 1 | 5 | 5 | 11

    16. Imo – 1 | 4 | 7 | 12

    17. Niger. – 1 | 3 | 2 | 6

    18. Kwara – 1 | 2 | 3 | 6

    19. Nasarawa – 1 | 1 | 7 | 9

    20. Kano – 0 | 3 | 6 | 9

    21. Borno – 0 | 3 | 1 | 4

    22. Benue – 0 | 1 | 6 | 7

    23. Ekiti – 0 | 1 | 3 | 4

    24. Ondo – 0 | 1 | 2 | 3

    25. Bauchi – 0 | 1 | 1 | 2

    26. Kaduna – 0 | 1 | 1 | 2

    27. Taraba – 0 | 1 | 0 | 1

    28. Kebbi – 0 | 0 | 1 | 1

    TOTAL: 206 GOLD | 205 SILVER | 298 BRONZE | 709 TOTAL

  • NSF 2024: Ogun allay fears over tanker explosion

    NSF 2024: Ogun allay fears over tanker explosion

    • Vendors count losses after rain storm

    Ogun State government has  assured athletes participating in the National Sports Festival holding in Abeokuta, as well as the residents of the state, of their safety, following a diesel tanker explosion near Alake’s Sports Complex, one of the facilities used for the ongoing Sports Festival.

    Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, in a statement, said that while there was an incident involving a diesel tanker that resulted in a fire outbreak, the fire was immediately put out to prevent any damage.

    Akinmade commended the promptness and pro-activeness of the fire service in the state and the vigilance of officials at the complex, assuring participants at the sports festival of total safety.

    “The incident this afternoon involving a gas tanker close to one of our facilities for the National Sports Festival was very unfortunate. We thank God that the fire was immediately put out to avert any casualties.

    “To this end, we want to assure all our athletes and the people of the state of safety and that there is no cause for alarm as the situation is under absolute control “, the statement read.

    Meanwhile, windstorm yesterday  destroyed stands of some food vendors and other traders at the back of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, the venue of the ongoing 2025 National Sports Festival.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the scene observed that the affected vendors were already making moves to fix the destroyed stands so that they could continue their businesses.

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    Mrs Bolaji Adetunji, one of the affected vendors who spoke to NAN, noted that what happened was natural and that there was no need to apportion blame to anyone.

    She said that the disaster caused her some setbacks but thanked God that no life was lost.

    Another affected vendor, Miss Mutiat Alabi, appealed for a bigger canopy that could contain as many vendors as possible in future events.

    Alabi, however, expressed satisfaction with the level of sales since the commencement of the national sports festival.

    She called on the organisers of the sports festival to re-strategize in order to ensure that such games were not held during the rainy season.

     “The wind was strong, and it affected some of us because the stalls are not that strong.

     “I will only appeal to the organisers to host this kind of event during the dry season,” he said.

  • First Bank backs National Sports Festival

    First Bank backs National Sports Festival

    As part of its nation-building and developing sporting talents initiative across the country, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has thrown its weight behind the 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF) taking place in various sporting centers in Ogun State.

    The games, which kicked off yesterday and to come to an end on May 30, 2025, will feature over 15,000 athletes drawn from across the country competing in both individual and team sports.

    Regarded as Nigeria’s version of the Olympic Games, the multi-sport event offers a total of 2,150 medals in 549 events.

    First Bank, one of the event’s sponsors, has consistently demonstrated through its First@Sports initiative its commitment to nation building and developing sporting talents while supporting legacy sports such as Polo, Golf , and Tennis.

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    By sponsoring the 2024 NSF, the bank has demonstrated its resolve to continually promote worthy initiatives.

    The National Sports Festival, a biennial multi-sports event, brings together thousands of athletes from Nigeria’s 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Endorsed by the National Sports Commission (NSC), The Gateway Games 2024 will focus on Football, Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, and other games. The festival is expected to unite the youths, foster regional harmony, discover talents, and build in them a sense of national pride.

    A major new feature of NSF 2024 is the introduction of the Invited Junior Athletes category. This will allow junior athletes to compete alongside more experienced athletes, offering them an opportunity to exhibit their talent on a national stage.