The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports development in Abuja, on Wednesday, released a statement on the final report of its committee of experts on the recently concluded National Sports Festival, Delta 2022.
The statement read:
FINAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON THE MEDAL TABLE FOR THE 21ST NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL, ‘DELTA 2022’
- The Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, has received the report of the Committee of Experts it set up to review the Delta 2022 Medal Table. After a comprehensive review of the report of the Committee of Experts, the Ministry hereby releases the Final Medal Table for the 21st National Sports Festival, tagged Delta 2022 in line with the recommendations of the Committee.
2. The Committee submitted that human errors occasioned by administrative laxity, inexperience, general delays, non- awareness and some in cases, the misapplication of the substantive Festival Rules led to the flaws observed in the earlier computed Medal Table, which has now been rectified and approved by the Ministry.
- The full application of the Rules meant that the results from some events in Athletics, Scrabble, Weightlifting and Wresting, which did not meet the criteria for scoring were not recorded on the reviewed Medals Table, while in accordance with Rule 28 of the World Para Powerlifting Rules and Regulations (March 2022), only the results from ‘Best Lift Medal’ were recorded for the sport of Powerlifting.
- Consequently, it is significant to note that most of the States retained their positions on the Medal Table thereby maintaining the status quo. However, some States lost some Medals as the Committee applied all extant Rules guiding the organisation of the National Sports Festival as applicable in Games of this magnitude.
- In order to correct the observed anomaly and to uphold the integrity of the Festival, the Ministry would take appropriate administrative procedures to prevent future reoccurrence as recommended by the Committee.
- In the reviewed Medal Table, Delta State maintained its lead with a total of 280 Gold, 168 Silver and 120 Bronze medals followed by Bayelsa, Edo and Oyo States, which pooled 106 Gold, 69 Gold and 43 Gold medals respectively.
- The comprehensive Medal Table for the 21st National Sports Festival, Delta 2022 is presented below:
With this release, the ministry has brought to a logical close all matters relating to the issue of medal table for the 21st National Sports Festival.
The statement was signed by the permanent secretary, Mr Ismaila Abubakar and dated February 8, 2023.
