Ondo wins first basic education games

Ondo State reigned supreme at the first Basic Education School Sport Games which concluded in Abuja on Friday, topping the medals table of the nine-day event ahead of Akwa Ibom and 23 other states in the country.

Athletes from the Sunshine State topped the medal tally with nine gold, 13 silver, and nine bronze medals, followed by Akwa Ibom second place with six gold, five silver, and six bronze medals, while hosts Abuja finished third with five gold, three silver, and nine bronze medals.

Meanwhile, Hephzibah Gabriel-Okon from Akwa Ibom dazzled with her gold medal performances in the girls’ 100m, 200m, 400m, and 4x100m relay, contributing four of her state’s six gold medals and ultimately earning the best athlete award.

Organised by the Nigeria School Sport Federation and the Universal Basic Education Commission, the multi-sport event was set up to discover talents among primary school pupils nationwide.

Over 1,000 pupils from 25 states, including host Abuja, competed in nine events which are; athletics, ayo, badminton, chess, table tennis, football, scrabble, handball, and volleyball.

The BESS Games was rounded off with a closing ceremony where UBEC Executive Secretary Hamid Bobboyi praised the athletes’ performances, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to school sports development.

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike who was represented by his Special Adviser, Technical, Bawa Michael, highlighted the athletes’ performances as evidence of the country’s abundant sporting talent.

NSSF president Olabisi Joseph stressed the event’s role in showcasing talent, fostering sportsmanship, and promoting national unity.

“As we close this chapter, we start a new journey to nurture and encourage our young athletes to keep participating in sports, giving them opportunities to compete in global and continental events. We look forward to the next edition,” she said.