Ogun team disqualified for fielding foreign athletes
By Solomon Nwoke

IF there is anyone doubting the ability of Ogun state ranking among the top four finishers in the Garden City Games in Port Harcourt, the former Commissioner of  Sports in the state, Bukola Olapade has sounded it loud and clear that Ogun will be among the top four finishers in the festival.

Ogun state as at the last updated medals table were placed 7th , but Olapade said it’s not over yet as better days lye ahead.

Speaking with Sports Vanguard at the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium, the former commissioner of Sports said, “the festival has not ended yet, athletics has just  started and it is our strong hold. We are going to come up with lots of gold medals. I also know that in special sports and tennis we  are goping to do well.

Don’t rule Ogun state out from placing between first and fourth position at the end of the festival. The contingent are showing that they are good contenders”.

He also said that inspite of the host state’s dictating the pace of the festival on the medal table, Delta state are potential winner of the 17th national Sports Festival .

“Inspite of Rivers state leading so far in the festival, I still believe that  Delta will win the festival and win it well”, he said.

Olapade also said that better days are ahead of their state in sports because of their natural resources to churn out good athletes.

He however commended the hosting state, Rivers and the National Sports Commission (NSC) for a befitting festival put in place.

“I’m really having a nice time here in Port Harcourt. Food has been wonderful same as the security. We have nothing to complain about”, he said.

Ogun team disqualified for fielding foreign athletes

THE Nigeria Volleyball Federation technical committee has thrown out the Ogun State men’s volleyball team out of the National Sports Festival going on in Port

Harcourt following a protest from Edo State which lost her quarter-final game by 3-0.

Edo State, Sports Vanguard  learnt, protested the inclusion of some players by the Ogun State team, alleging that the said players whose names were not given, were foreigners and as such they were not eligible to participate.

In the last quarter-final game played at the Adokie Amiesimaka stadium, the Ogun men’s team beat their Edo counterparts by 3-0 to book a place in the semi-final but their win was upturned as Edo had played the match under protest and when it was looked into, the Edo team was handed the semi-final ticket.

That aside, the third quarter-final game between Ondo and Akwa Ibom which ended  3-0 in favour of the Ondo team was  under protest and the issue would be dealt before the commencement of the semi-final.

Speaking to Sports Vanguard  the technical director of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Tony Oghuma-Eghiema
said  there was proof that the Ogun team fielded foreigners which was against the rules of the festival.
“We looked at the protest and the jury decided that the Ogun team defaulted on the rules of the games.

Results of the men’s quarter-finals last night saw Kano sending Yobe packing  with a 3-1 victory, Niger on the hand sent Rivers packing with a 3-2 win. In the female category, Adamawa scaled over Ondo 3-0 to move into the semi-final while Plateau fell 0-3 to Delta State. Abia girls proved too hard for te Kaduna side tht they defeated 3-1 while host Rivers kept their hopes alive with a 3-1 win over Lagos.