No doubt, Team University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT) is a major team contending for the top spot of the medals table at the ongoing Nigeria University Games (NUGA) at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. And dearest of their athletes is Peace Uko, whose mind-blowing style of running is nothing but a command to the tracks.
Speaking to newsmen after winning the 100m female event final with a time of 11.65secs, Peace, says she loves what she does. “I am not tired. I have trained for four months and I run against time, not against anyone,” she said.
Besides Peace, many other athletes have proven at the games that indeed, Nigerian youths are skilled, talented and vibrant, setting standards close enough to beat records.
Sitting conveniently on top of the medals table, UNIPORT dominates in almost every game and although medals have not been officially awarded, they can account for over half of the medals already won.
On the tracks, UNIPORT’s Enemuo Chima Vivian won the gold medal in the female javelin event, while Lukman Ogundele of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) won the male’s gold medal at 57.21metres.
The 400m female hurdle final event ended with Efeh Favour of UNIPORT winning. Favour also won gold in the 100m female hurdle. Chukwa Ewelum of the University of Ibadan (UI) was second, while Umah Mariam of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) was third.
The host school Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) however, lost some medal chances on Wednesday as they couldn’t qualify for next stages in some games.
OAU’s Olumide Folawewo lost to University of Ilorin’s (UNILORIN) Jayeola Seun in squash. “It is really interesting given the fact that it is something I enjoy doing. Playing at the national level does count a lot. I’ve played at the Professional Squash Association (PSA) tournament before, which is like the highest tournament of squash in the world. I was highly ranked in the world, even before schooling,” Jayeola said.
The duo of Isaac Mercy, 200-Level student of the Department of Social Studies and Adetunji Tope, 500-Level student, Estate Management, both of OAU, also lost in the female doubles to the duo of Okoh Mercy Joan, 300-Level student, Political Science and Rukayat Edidi, 300-Level student, Faculty of Law, who also doubles as the female chess player for the University of Ibadan (UI).
“I am happy we won the match, which ended 6-4, 6-4 and that means we have qualified for the semi-final. We are looking forward to that and expect nothing less than gold,” Joan said.
Mr Kayode Alabi, UI’s tennis coach, in a chat with Tribunesport said: “We have tried our best. I lost all the singles, both the male and the female categories in the quarter final. We are in the semi final in the female doubles and we are still hoping to play the mixed doubles, which will take us to another semi final if we win.”
Speaking on how the Federal Government can assist in developing more youths and talent in sports, Coach Alabi said: “It has to be from the grass roots, it should be from the primary school, the Federal Government has to go back to the olden days when school sports was rampant which produced a lot of sportsmen, because right now, even the schools that the Federal Government and state governments are controlling, most of the football pitches have been converted to classrooms, one way or the other. So to me, the Federal Government and state governments are killing grass-roots sports.”
OAU, however, won in the female handball game, beating UNN to qualify for the semi-finals, while UNN’s male team took revenge, beating OAU 15 points to eight. The competition isn’t just about the game, but the attitude of the supporters from both teams which has made the place a lively one.
Coach of the OAU side, better known as coach Abu, was however given a yellow card due to a remark he made to the referee. While speaking with Tribunesport after the game, he said: “The officiating was not fair, most of the referees are inexperienced. We are going to protest to them, not only for us, but for the students who are coming up for the first time, not to kill their morale. This is the first time the team is playing a major tournament and this shouldn’t be.”
The assistant handball coach, UNN, Uloma Ilaolya said they were happy winning the game.
“We are now moving on to the quarter final. The officiating was fair enough. And now that we have beaten the host team, gold is our aim.”
In the men’s 100m final held on Wednesday, UNIBEN’s Chukwum Onyeku, a postgraduate student of the Department of Counselling Psychology was first, at 10.67secs, while Mark Ordwen of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) was second and Abejoye Oyeniyi of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was third.
In the 400m male hurdles, UNIPORT again went away with the gold, with Okoro Chukwu Egozie. UNILAG’s Badejo Moyosore won the silver in the 100m female hurdle and Adejoye Oyewole won gold in the 110m male hurdle.
UNILAG’s Elamah Remi won the female shot-put gold. OAU won its first gold medal on Tuesday, when the duo of Temitayo Ramon and Jadesola Omowonuola played against Afolabi Adesola and Olorunmaye Bolanle of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), while the second gold medal came from the male feather weight taekwondo. It’s been a tough call for Team UNILORIN, as some of their students had to commute between Ife and Ilorin because of their examinations.
Speaking with Tribunesport, coach Sodiq Sulaiman Sabonkudi said: “The only problem we are facing is that some of our athletes are back in Ilorin writing their exams and it has been a really difficult one managing that.
“Some come and go to Ilroin to write their exams and then come back to Ife that day, we have been shuttling it that way.”
Speaking on why reservations were not made by the school for athlete-students, he said, “the school made provisions by allowing them to go and come back to write their exams after the games, but many of the students felt that coming back to write exams is not the best thing for them. So the sports council director ensures that whoever is writing exams would be brought back immediately by the bus for the games.”
Raphael King, better known as Teaspoon, of the UNN, said winning their handball game against UNIBEN was a revenge of what happened to them at UNIBEN during the last NUGA events.
“Because we were robbed last time in UNIBEN, that makes it exciting for us winning now and that qualifies us for the semi final.”
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