Ogun State athletes delivered stellar performances in the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival, showing their mettle in both handball and football contests across multiple venues in the state.
In the women’s handball match held at the Alake Sports Centre in Abeokuta, Team Ogun convincingly defeated their Kogi State opponents with a commanding 32–20 scoreline.
The host team displayed strength and coordination from the start, finishing the first half with 16 goals while Kogi managed just 11.
The gripping encounter kept spectators at the edge of their seats, as Ogun’s tactical approach overwhelmed the Kogi side.
Reacting to the result, Team Ogun’s handball coach, Shola Sekoni, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance and lauded the state government’s support.
“I must first thank the Governor, Dapo Abiodun, for giving us this game,” Sekoni told journalists. “This is just the beginning, so I’d rate the team’s effort at 50 percent for now. But I’m confident—we’re qualifying and aiming for the final.”
He added, “We started strong, but as fatigue set in, we had to adjust our strategy. The opponents couldn’t decode our pattern. Next up is Plateau State, and our girls are ready—they’re leaving no stone unturned.”
Meanwhile, in the male football event at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Team Ogun recorded another victory by defeating the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) team 3–1. Joseph Abba was the star of the match, scoring twice to lead Ogun to a well-deserved win.
Despite the handball loss, Kogi’s head coach, Emeka Joseph, remained upbeat about his team’s future in the tournament.
“Our girls gave a solid performance, even though we didn’t win.”
“They played their hearts out. We’re taking the positives from this game and focusing on our next match against Plateau. We’re not backing down—we believe we’ll bounce back stronger,” the said.
