Five-time world champions Golden Eaglets have zoomed into the semifinals of the football event of the 22^nd National Sports Festival ongoing in Ogun State.

Abdulmuiz Adeleke, who netted the first goal in the 2-1 win over Edo State on Monday, came up big with a brace against Ebonyi State in Friday morning’s quarter-final encounter, which the Eaglets won 5-0 to sail into the last four.

Mohammed Imrana, scorer of the second goal against Edo State, was also among the goals, though he was unlucky to bag a red card in the closing minutes of the encounter. Destiny Samuel and Emmanuel Ochigbo were the other scorers.

On Thursday, the Flamingos drew 0-0 with Lagos State. They lead their group B with five points, ahead of Friday evening’s final group stage clash with Enugu State, who are pointless.

Delta and Lagos State are fast on the Flamingos’ heels with four points each.

Osun State leads the four-team group A with seven points, with Ogun and Edo States on five and four points respectively.

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To align Nigeria with global standards in sports management and athlete performance analytics, stakeholders at the two-day Scientific Congress, held during the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, have emphasised the need for the deployment of innovative technology.

The Scientific Congress, themed “Strategies for the Development of a Viable Sports Economy in Nigeria: Merging Market Dynamics with Sports Medicine Excellence,” was successfully convened by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

It brought together key stakeholders, including sports practitioners, policymakers, medical professionals, scholars, and athletes, to strategically integrate sports management and medical innovations to advance the Nigerian sports sector.

In the communique issued and signed by the President of the Nigeria Association of Sports Medicine (NASMED), Dr. Olajide Joseph Adebola, several key recommendations were outlined. These include the strengthening of public-private partnerships, incentivizing corporate involvement in sports development, and the adoption of innovative technology for sports event management and athlete performance analytics.

The Congress also called for a comprehensive review and reinforcement of the national sports regulatory framework, with greater investment in specialized sports medicine research, professional training, and healthcare infrastructure emphasized as crucial to sustaining athlete performance and safety.

To combat doping, stakeholders recommended the immediate implementation of comprehensive safeguarding and anti-doping policies aligned with international standards. Additionally, they advocated for the establishment of dedicated rehabilitation centres that offer holistic care, including psychological support and advanced medical services, and the development of robust sports injury insurance policies to provide both financial and medical support for athletes.

The Congress further urged NIPSS to convene a high-level stakeholder forum focused on sports, economic opportunities, and job creation for Nigerian youth, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope reform agenda.

Highlights from the event included the call for innovative financial models, the exploration of digital media, consumer behaviour analytics, and sponsorship innovations. The Congress emphasized the importance of creating favourable policies to attract private sector investments and adopting a structured approach to sports commercialization.

Recommendations also included leveraging technology-driven solutions for logistics and event management to elevate the quality and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s national sports events.

Emphasis was placed on individualized injury prevention strategies, psychological support systems, and effective rehabilitation programs. The establishment of specialized athlete rehabilitation centres focusing on both physical and mental recovery was also proposed.

The Congress acknowledged the valuable support of NIPSS and the Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

Stakeholders pledged a firm commitment to the collaborative implementation of the outlined strategies. It was unanimously agreed that these efforts would significantly contribute to building a robust, economically vibrant, and ethically sound sports environment in Nigeria, enhancing the nation’s reputation on the international stage.

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Going into the opening programme of Day 5 of the 22nd National Sports Festival, Bayelsa State has maintained its early lead on the medals table.

As at the close of events on Wednesday, the most southernly state has been the topmost, amassing 15 Gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals.

Defending Champion Delta State, though trailing, took a big leap from Day 3 to move to the second spot with 6 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze medals.

In third position is Osun State with 6 gold medals.  Osun is closely followed in fourth position is Rivers with 5 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Lagos State completes the top five after Day 4 with 4 Gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze medals.

Oyo State is occupying the 6th position with 4 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Akwa Ibom State is manning the 7th spot with 4 Gold and 1 silver medal, while Plateau State is 8th with 3 Gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze medals.

Cross River is 9th with 3 Gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal, as Edo completes the top 10 table with 2 gold, 15 silver and 14 bronze medals.

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