Delta maintains lead, athletics events begin

DELTA State continued its dominance at the ongoing Eko 2012 National Sports Festival (NSF), where it added 10 more gold medals to its haul at the end of Monday’s events.
The team now has 35 gold medals, 25 silver and 24 bronze to remain top of the medals table, while Team Rivers, which added three gold medals yesterday to bring its medals haul to 27 gold, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals, is in second position.
Team Lagos is third with 15 gold, 13 silver and 18 bronze medals while Team Edo has 14 gold, 10 silver and 16 bronze medals to occupy the fourth position.
On Monday, at the swimming pool of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Delta won three gold, three silver and two bronze medals, Lagos took two gold medals, while Team Ondo and Team Cross River got a gold medal each. Lagos also got a gold medal in the 100 metres freestyle women swimming event.
Meanwhile, the much anticipated athletics events of the festival will begin today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. According to the Secretary General of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Abbah Yola, events in athletics are expected to climax the festival activities and they would commence at 8.00a.m with para-athletics events.
Yola warned that participating states and athletes must adhere to laid down rules or stand the risk of being banned. Proceedings will commence in the 19 categories lined up with the 20km race walk for women final, 20km race walk for men final, 5,000 metres women final, short put F55-56 for men final, and the 100 metres hurdles women heptathlon.
Others are javelin F57-58 women final, short put men final, 100 metres women heat, javelin women final, high jump women heptathlon, discuss amputee F42-44 men final, 100 metres men heat and 100 metres amputee T45-46 women final.
Also to take place this morning are the discuss deaf men final, 400 metres women heat and 400 metres men heat.
In the afternoon session, the short put for women heptathlon event, short put F55-56 women final, discuss amputee F42-44 women final, and long jump women final will be concluded.
These would be closely followed by 400 metres hurdles women heat, 400 metres hurdle men heat, 100 metres amputee T45-46 men final, 100 metres deaf women semi-final, and 100 metres deaf men semi-final.
After these, at exactly 5.20p.m, the 100 metres men and women round two will take place. The events of the day would be rounded off with the 200 metres women heptathlon, 200 metres wheelchair T54 men semi-final, 200 metres wheelchair T54 women final, and 10,000 metres men final.
These events will be immediately followed by the victory ceremonies.