The National Sports Festival in Abeokuta witnessed thrilling finishes on Day 5 as Team Bayelsa’s Lucky Oritseweyinmi Daje and Delta’s Chioma Cynthia Nweke raced to GOLD in the men’s and women’s 200m finals respectively, continuing the festival’s tradition of fierce competition and standout performances.
In the men’s 200m final, Daje delivered under immense pressure, clocking a Personal Best (PB) of 20.94s to snatch the GOLD medal in a nail-biting finish. He executed the bend with tactical brilliance and held his nerve to edge past Ogun State’s Gafar Audu by the slimmest of margins. Audu, who showed remarkable strength in the final 100m, finished just 0.01 seconds behind with a silver-winning 20.95s.
On the women’s side, Nweke dominated the final, powering out of the bend and holding off a determined challenge from Sophia Efetobore. Nweke’s finishing time of 23.58s capped off a commanding sprint campaign, denying Efetobore, who took Silver, any chance of surging ahead. Faith Chukwuma claimed Bronze, narrowly holding off Tejiri Ugoh in a competitive field.
The women’s 4x400m heats delivered drama and redemption in equal measure. In Heat 1, Team Lagos relinquished an early lead in the third lap but were revitalized by Miracle Uwem Donald, who closed in fiercely in the final 100m to secure victory for the team with a time of 3:43.76. Bayelsa trailed closely in second at 3:44.14, while Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) finished third in 3:50.62. Akwa Ibom, despite early promise, faded to fourth with 4:01.86, missing out on the finals.
Heat 2 saw Team Rivers overtake Ogun in the first lap’s last 60m and finish strong with the fastest heat time of 3:38.15. Ogun, powered by Toheebat Jimoh, claimed second place in 3:46.03, narrowly ahead of Edo State’s 3:46.53. Both Anambra and Osun booked their spots in the finals with times of 3:51.04 and 3:52.06, respectively.
The men’s 4x400m heats showcased intense competition. Heat 1 began with a fast start from Lagos’ Benjamin Magaji, but Ogun wrestled back the lead by the second lap, maintaining dominance until the final stretch. Despite Lagos’ Stephen Adejumo’s strong push to regain lead, Ogun anchored by Deji Sholotan held firm to win in 3:12.44. Akwa Ibom’s Ezekiel Eno finished a close second in 3:12.50, while Lagos settled for third in 3:13.60.
In Heat 2, Team Edo posted the fastest time overall with a commanding 3:10.67 finish. Anchored by Sikiru Adewale Adeyemi, Team Oyo chased hard to claim second place in 3:10.92, while Kwara took third in 3:12.96. Teams Delta and Bayelsa also qualified for the finals with times of 3:13.18 and 3:14.03, respectively.
