Delta 2022 National Sports Festival fall-out

Members of the Lagos State Boxing team that won three gold, five silver and two bronze medals at the National Sports Festival, which held in Asaba, Delta State.<br />

Ministry admits errors in calculation as Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, others lose medals

After a review of the medals table of the Asaba 2022 National Sports Festival by an independent committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Team Delta is still the undisputed winner with 280 gold medals. The host state, however, lost 40 gold, 32 silver and 28 bronze medals in what has been described as human error occasioned by administrative laxity, inexperience, general delay, non-awareness and in some cases, the misapplication of substantive festival rules. The new medals table has been rectified and approved by the Ministry.

At the end of the 21st National Sports Festival, tagged Delta 2022, some states’ officials raised the alarm that they were awarded more medals than the number won by their athletes. It prompted the sports ministry to set up the committee to investigate it.

Team Bayelsa still maintains its second position with 106 gold, 100 silver and 83 bronze medals, despite losing 26 gold, 15 silver and seven bronze medals. Team Edo also retained its third position with 69 gold, 77 silver and 134 bronze medals. Edo lost nine gold, 17 silver and 33 bronze medals.

Team Oyo and Lagos still maintain their original positions of fourth and fifth positions on the medals table.

Contrary to reports earlier in the week, Team Rivers did not slip from its original sixth position on the newly approved medals table, and unlike some other states that lost huge number of gold medals, Team Rivers retained its 35 gold, but lost 53 silver and 21 bronze medals in