As the 9th National Youth Games (NYG) moves into its final lap, Team Edo continues to assert its dominance, adding more medals to its tally on Thursday across boxing, athletics, gymnastics, and other disciplines.
Edo showcased its growing strength in combat sports at the boxing events held at St. Patrick’s College, where Abdulmalik Lawal clinched gold in the 42kg male category after defeating his Kogi opponent. Delta and Kwara settled for bronze. Lanre Abdullahi Adebayo delivered a second gold in the 44kg male category, with Abia taking silver, while Bayelsa and Enugu shared bronze.
On the track, Jessica Ughele stood out in deaf athletics at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, powering through the 400m final to win gold for Edo, ahead of Rivers (silver) and Lagos (bronze). Ughele also secured a silver in the 200m sprint, finishing behind Kwara (gold), with Lagos again picking up bronze.
In cricket, Edo’s male team defeated Oyo by 8 wickets in the semi-finals of the T20 format but fell short in the final against Imo, earning a silver medal. The female cricket team finished fourth after losing to Ebonyi in the bronze medal match.
Team Edo also made a mark in Wushu Kung Fu (Taolu), where Favour Eboigbe claimed silver in the female category, coming in behind Delta. FCT and Anambra shared bronze. In the male category, Alufa Godstime earned bronze, with Lagos and Bayelsa taking gold and silver respectively.
In female football, Edo secured bronze after a tense goalless draw against Ogun, ultimately prevailing 6–5 on penalties in the third-place match held at St. Patrick’s College.
Perhaps the most defining moment of Day 7 for Team Edo came in gymnastics, where they were officially crowned champions after amassing 6 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze — finishing ahead of Lagos, Delta, and others.
Reacting to the team’s performance, Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, highlighted the state’s deliberate grassroots approach, revealing that many of Edo’s athletes at the Games are as young as seven or eight. He emphasized that the goal is not just to win, but to learn, grow, and gain exposure.
“We have athletes as young as seven and eight years old. They are not under pressure to win; rather, they are here to learn, grow, and gain exposure,” Enabulele said. “I suggest that the National Sports Commission considers doing away with the grading system of first, second, and third at this stage, similar to the model in the United States. The aim is to protect young athletes from psychological pressure and focus more on talent discovery and development.”
He further revealed plans to expand Edo’s grassroots sports development programme through talent identification in secondary schools and the construction of mini-stadia across all 18 local government areas in the state.
