The Umbrella

National Sports Festival 2025: Edo Nowhere to Be Found as Delta, Ogun, Bayelsa Emerge First, Second, and Third

Edo State is nowhere to be found on the medals table
as Delta, Ogun, and Bayelsa States emerge first, second, and third respectively at the just-concluded 22nd National Sports Festival held in Ogun State.

Team Delta placed top of the final medals table with 323 medals, securing 122 gold, 96 silver and 105 bronze medals. Bayelsa finished second with 92 gold, 62 silver and 70 bronze medals, amounting to 224 overall, while Ogun, the host of the festival, came third after winning 90 gold, 64 silver and 78 bronze medals, totalling 232.

Edo State came a distant fifth with 63 gold, 96 silver and 115 bronze medals, after Rivers State who closed fourth on the medals table with 74 gold, 56 silver and 63 bronze medals, giving them a total of 193.

Edo State’s absence from the top ranks this year has raised concerns as the State renowned as Nigeria’s sporting powerhouse, used to be placed second only to Delta in all national competitions.

The embarrassing outing at the 2025 Sports Festival is seen by many as a pointer to the waning investment and decline in the sports sector under the administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo.

Sports analysts argue that since Okpebholo assumed office, the momentum that once drove Edo’s sports success appears to have stalled, with many of the investments and infrastructure put in place by former Governor Godwin Obaseki now neglected and abandoned.

“The world-class facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, which once served as a platform for sporting trials, including the Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships trials, have become a shadow of their former selves. At most, it has turned into a praying ground for various churches who now rent the space for their spiritual activities,” said a concerned sports analyst familiar with the state of affairs.

The retrogression, residents say is across all sectors under the Monday Okpebholo-led government.

“The underwhelming performance at the National Sports Festival points to broader trend of retrogression across sectors in the state. Just as it is witnessed in sports sector, so also it is in e-governance, security, economy, education, among others,” said Mrs. Edokpolor who resides in Benin City.

“Monday Okpebholo’s dismantling of the digital governance system put in place by the former governor has plunged Edo State from 1st to 19th position in national e-governance rankings. The state has also become Nigeria’s new epicenter of kidnapping and insecurity, with at least 100 people brutally killed in the past six months across various communities.

“The economic toll is equally devastating, as internally generated revenue continues to dip sharply. The retrogression under Monday Okpebholo’s leadership is massive and multisectoral,” she added.