Team Delta wins three gold medals as Jighere beaten in scrabble

Team Delta are unrelenting in their efforts to retain the title they won at Abuja 2018 as they have set new National and festival swimming records in the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival.

In the 800m freestyle men, Opute Clinton emerged winner with a timing of 9:34:53 to set a new national and festival record once held by Samson Opuakpo in 2006.

Also, in the 100m backstroke women, Delta's Timipamere Akiayefa won with a timing of 1:14:93, defeating Edo and Bayelsa to win gold.

Similarly, the quartet of Timipame-Ere Akiayef, Nmor Evelyn, Okolugbo Chinonye and Okpochini Deborah won gold for Team Delta with a timing of 4:20:98.

Elsewhere, Akwa Ibom’s Nsikak Etim Solomon defeated favourite and first African to be crowned World scrabble champion, Jighere Wellington to win gold in the Masters singles event.

Wellington who is representing Team Delta settled for Silver, while George Ezinore of Edo State won bronze.

In the female singles, Team Delta's Tuoyo Mayuku won the gold, while Sule Success and Bukunmi Afolayan of Edo and Ogun State won Silver and bronze respectively.

Delta also dominated the open singles category with Godsfavour Whiskey beating Sunday Ituah (Lagos) and Itiemo Brigeni (Bayelsa) to the gold medal.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the trio of Ese Brume, Orukpe Eraiyokan, and Grace

Nwokocha as the track and field events get underway this morning.

The Tokyo Olympics bound athletes will not only seek to win laurels for their states, but will be jostling for qualification standards.

Other top stars to watch out for are reigning National sprints champion Grace Nwokocha, Orukpe Eraiyokan and Chidi Anthony Okezie.