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Again, Team UniPort Sweeps Medals Table At WAUG 2018 .75 Gold .36 Silver .24 Bronze By Otikor Samuel
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- Published: 29 November 2018
Lightning struck yet again as indomitable Team UniPort swept the medals table to win the 14th West African University Games (WAUG-UniPort 2018) for the fourth consecutive time. WAUG-UniPort 2018 held at the University Stadium between Wednesday, October 31 and Saturday, November 10, 2018. Team UniPort grabbed a total of 135 medals out of the 462 medals shared by 36 participating universities at the sporting fiesta. A breakdown of the 135 medals showed that the all-conquering Team UniPort hauled in 75 gold, 36 silver and 24 bronze to take first position by a long distance.
The University of Lagos took a distant second position with 16 gold, 24 silver and 16 bronze, while the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana, came third with 9 gold, 53 silver and 4 bronze medals. The fourth position went to Obafemi Awolowo University which garnered 8 gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze medals, while Bayero University, Kano harvested 6 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze to place fifth. University of Ghana, University for Development Studies, University of Ilorin, University of Benin and Nile University of Nigeria took the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth positions in that order.
The University for Development Studies, Ghana won the final football match against their hard-fighting counterparts from Bayero University, Kano. The football match was decided on penalties after both teams settled for a 1-1 draw after relegation time. The tension-packed match was a major highlight of the closing ceremony of the games at the main bowl of the Stadium. Obafemi Awolowo University was awarded the trophy for hockey, Kano University of Science and Technology received the fair play award, while Abdulsalam Garba of KUST won the best coach trophy.
Thirty other athletes received the Crystal Awards as most valuable players in their individual events.
They are: Matthew Nantiere of the University of Cape Coast and Grace Anigbata of UniPort who won the best players in the male and female categories in athletics, respectively. Godwin Olofun of the University of Lagos and Zainab Alabi of University of Ilorin received the awards for best male and female players in badminton. Kareem Joseph of UNILAG and Iornumbe Deteren of BUK took the awards for basketball. Daniel Anwuli and Perpetua Ogbiyoyo, both of UniPort emerged as best male and female players in chess.
Tunde Ayinde and Buhari Sabiu of UNILAG and BUK were declared best players in cricket and football, respectively. Ebo Annam of the University of Ghana and Ininitime Sylvanus of Niger Delta University emerged as best players in handball in the male and female categories. An athlete from Ahmadu Bello University, Muiz Bello and Victoria Akpan of the University of Benin got the Most Valuable Player awards in hockey for both male and female categories.
Other winners of the Crystal Awards for Most Valuable Players were Taiwo Aremu of UniPort and Sarah Attah of BUK, who won the male and female awards in Judo. Timilehin Doko of UNILAG and Gabriel Chiamaka of OAU came tops in scrabble. Adegoke Temiloluwa and Blessing Isaac, both of Kwara State University won the awards in squash, just as Godstime Nmor and Ifiezigbe Gagbe of the University of Port Harcourt took the awards in swimming. Benjamin Okwuomose of UNIBEN and Ujunwa Nwankwo of UniPort were declared best male and female fighters in taekwondo. Derek Abrfa of UCC and Bose Akinsete of UNILAG got the awards in table tennis. Illoputa Ikechukwu and Amieyofori Jim Jaja, both of UniPort got the awards in tennis, while Moses Akiye of Nile University, Abuja and Ruth Ozor-Ugwu of UNILAG were adjudged the best players in volleyball.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, a Director in the Ministry, Mrs. Oluwagbemisola Ajibade, commended the University for hosting a successful sporting fiesta for the youths of West Africa. The representative of the Minister also congratulated the University of Port Harcourt for successfully hosting and winning the 14th edition of WAUG. She stated that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari paid special attention to sports development in the country as a powerful instrument of peace and national integration.
“Sports is an important instrument for youth development and participation in sporting activities gives room for interaction and networking among young people. I congratulate the University of Port Harcourt for winning the competition for the fourth consecutive time, and I also wish to commend the athletes for the spirit of sportsmanship they exhibited throughout the competition,” Mrs Ajibade said.
In his farewell address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ndowa Lale, congratulated the athletes, coaches and technical officials who participated in the various events and for making friends. He also expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Government for the huge financial succour which he said played a decisive role in the successful hosting of the games.
“Our collective gratitude also goes to the Government of Delta State for supporting us from the beginning to the end of the games. We are grateful to the Secretary-General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Mr. Elijah Adamu for his invaluable input to the huge success recorded at the games. We thank Heritage Bank for partnering us to stage the event. We cannot thank one of our distinguished Honorary Alumnus, Dr. Solomon Ogba enough for his untiring support for the University of Port Harcourt,” Professor Lale disclosed.
Declaring the 14th WAUG games closed, President of the West African University Games, Professor Kingsley Akpabio, described the sporting fiesta as a huge success, despite the twists and turns that raised concern at the preparation stage. Professor Akpabio specifically commended the universities that came from outside Nigeria for the game. He ended his closing remarks by ordering the extinguishing of the Games Torch.
Other dignitaries who graced the event included the Rivers State Commissioner of Youths and Sports, Mr. Boma Iyaye, who led two other commissioners to represent Governor Nyesom Wike at the opening ceremony and the Front Desk Officer for UniPort at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Aliyu Alani.
