NDG: Tissa, Peremoboere shine as Team Edo light up Swimming

Hosts Team Edo claimed six of the nine gold medals on offer on Day 1 of Swimming at the 2nd Niger Delta Games (NDG) on Sunday with youngsters Precious Tissa and Joy Peremoboere claiming multiple gold medals.

In a sport expected to contribute 30 gold medals to the NDG medals table ecosystem, Swimming started with splendour and fanfare and it delivered some pulsating outcomes with plenty of joy for the Team Edo contingent.

It was not all rosy at the start for Edo though as they failed to win any of the first three events – 200m Individual Medley for Men, 200m Freestyle for Women and 100m Breaststroke for Men. Team Delta clinched gold in two of those events while Ondo won in the 200m Freestyle.

What followed was a roaring back by the Heartbeats and they won the remaining six events of the day at the Swimming Pool of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

Peremoboere opened the floodgates of gold medals when she eased to victory in the women’s 100m breaststroke, beating Success Ebigide of Delta by more than eight hundredth of a second. Bayelsa’s Gloria Epekele finished third.

It was then the turn of Tissa who defeated the hard fighting Idangofaka Tubotamuno of Rivers in Men’s 50m Freestyle final. Destiny Ajaka of Cross River finished third in that event.

Following those two victories were gold medal performances by Success Ayemi Lucky in Women’s 50m Freestyle, Kolade Otunla in Men’s 50m breaststroke and the Joy Peremoboere-led Team Edo in 4x100m Medley Relay for women.

The biggest performance of the day was saved for the last as Team Edo stormed from behind to win the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay for Men in grand style.

Team Delta, led by individual Medley winner Stanley Ossai had established a healthy lead in the first two laps but Tissa changed the face of the contest in the third lap when he closed the huge deficit and then established a commanding one which Otunla finished with aplomb.

Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele attributed Team Edo’s great start in Swimming to their robust preparation for the 2nd Niger Delta Games.

“Team Edo have been in camp for the past twenty-one days when it has to do with Swimming. Early preparation is what (birthed what) we are seeing here today.

“The team started preparing early knowing that we are hosting to win so the swimmers had a long time preparing for the Games,” said the very excited Enabulele.

The Swimming Medals Table of the 2nd NDG after Day 1 reads; Edo with 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medals while Delta are second with 2 Gold, 4 Silver and 1 Bronze medal. Ondo are 3rd with 1 Gold and 1 Bronze medal. Bayelsa, fourth with 1 Silver and 4 Bronze medals while Team Rivers have 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medals.