Team Delta rules swimming event, sets records

Team Delta has taken over the swimming event of the ongoing 19th National Sports Festival holding at the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium, with her swimmers setting aside a 12 and 17-year old national and festival records.

The team in the women 2×400 metres freestyle won gold medal after finishing 9:49.63 to erase the old time of 10:10.89 set by Team Ogun in 2006 at the Gateway Festival in Abeokuta.

Team Bayelsa, however, settled for the silver in a time of 1029.12, while Team Lagos got the bronze in 11:19.66 time.

Earlier, Deborah Opochini of Delta State had erased an old time of 1:03.72 set by Ikaghoemi Joshua of Rivers State in 1991 when she returned in 1:03.05 in the women’s 100 metres freestyle to clinch the gold medal.

Ifiezibe Gagbe of Bayelsa State finished second in 1:03.62, while Victoria Ajakaiye of Edo State got the bronze in 1:05.39 time.

In the women’s 200 metres butterfly, Oyindayefa Ndakwe of Delta State came top in 2:46.28 to send into archives the old time of 2:48.51 set by Obia Iyengiyikabo of Rivers State in 2006. Bayelsa State’s Indiamere Bodo returned in a distant 3:02.42 to clinch silver, while Adamolekun Ibukun of Oyo State won the bronze in 3:04.43.

For their feat, Opochini and Ndakwe told The Guardian that their exploits were due to hard work.

“I came with the aim of establishing a new national record. That dream is not dashed. My timing during training, though it was hand timing, was better than what I made today (yesterday). I still have other sprints to feature in, and I pray to be in my right frame of mind to come out with better times,” Opochini said.

Ndakwe said her best was yet to come. “This is 200m butterfly. There are the 50m and 100m events yet to be decided. Let’s wait and see what this Oyindayefa can do in the water.”