After beginning the championship in spectacular manner by taking home the first gold in cycling at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State, hosts Team Delta went on to capture yet another first gold medal in an event.
This time, the team defeated Team Oyo 3-0 inside the indoor sports hall at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba to win the gold medal in the women’s team event of the table tennis final on Friday.
The team, made up of Rashidat Ogundele, Fatima Bello, Ajoke Ojomu, and Aminat Fashola, easily defeated the Oyo ladies in the final.
Fatima Bello of Delta defeated Fatimo Kazeem of Oyo 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-7) and Ajoke Ojomu battled valiantly to win 3-2 (11-3, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3) against Halima Hussain
Ogundele, the women’s team captain, was overjoyed to receive the festival’s first table tennis medal.
Ogundele stated that Team Delta was more confident after the victory and that her comrades were prepared for the singles competition.
“We feel more confident now that we won the team event and have a good chance in the women’s singles,” she remarked.
“With the reigning champion, Fatima Bello, at our side, Delta State has a better chance of taking home the majority of the medals in the women’s singles category.”
In the most recent ITTF world rankings, Bello made an incredible jump of almost 291 positions to take the 53rd spot.
The host nation has had a great start to the competition and will be aiming to hold the title they won at the last National Sports Festival in Edo.
