Hope Rises as Yobe secures first medal at Gateway Games

Charity in Blue belt Against her Bayelsa opponent 

By  Joe HEMBA, from Abeokuta 

In a thrilling breakthrough, Team Yobe has clinched its maiden medal at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, courtesy of Charity Jatau's stunning silver medal in the 48kg Judo category.

Jatau lost the gold to her Bayelsa opponent in a very keenly fought match with both athelets exhibiting professionalism with tactics.

This impressive achievement has catapulted Team Yobe onto the medal table, fueling optimism among team members and officials about accumulating more medals.

IMPACTONLINENG eports that the contingent had a tough outing in the team events, struggling to find their footing and ultimately falling short of expectations having had a grueling four-days travel nightmare to Abeokuta.

Despite the setback, the team is focusing on the individual events, determined to make a strong comeback.

As the athletic events are just underway, the Director of Sports, Dr. Abubakar AbdulRaham Ago, exudes confidence that Yobe will snatch numerous medals before the tournament concludes. "Despite encountering setbacks in team events, we're refining our strategies to secure additional medals," he said.

Our Correspondent gathered that With the momentum generated from Jatau's remarkable silver medal, Team Yobe is poised to make a resounding impact in the singles and doubles events, potentially adding more glitter to their medal tally for the state.

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National Festival: Yobe Athletes Plagued by Travel Woes, Suffer Early Festival Setbacks

 

YOBE Female Hockey Team before their match with Kaduna at Abeokuta

KFrom Joe Hemba, Abeokuta 

The Yobe contingent at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta is enduring a truly challenging start, as the team has stumbled in all their opening fixtures, raising concerns among fans and officials alike. 

This dismal performance is being widely attributed to acute fatigue, a direct consequence of a grueling four-day road journey to the festival venue.

A reliable source close to the team revealed a travel nightmare that began with their seemingly luxurious bus breaking down not once, but twice on the arduous trek to Abeokuta. 

Their troubles were further compounded when they found themselves unexpectedly gridlocked for hours by an accidented vehicle in Ekiti State, turning what should have been a manageable trip into an endurance Nation

Investigation gatered that In a desperate bid to salvage their participation, some Yobe athletes were reportedly ferried into Abeokuta on a trailer to make it for the festival's opening ceremony on Sunday evening. 

The remaining athletes, arriving at an odd hour of 4:00 AM on Monday morning, were then thrown into competitive matches merely hours later, a scenario that undoubtedly hampered their good performance.

ImpactOnlineng reports that the consequences of this travel ordeal were clearly evident on the field as Yobe's male hockey team suffered a defeat at the hands of a determined Ogun State squad.

 Meanwhile, the football team endured a double blow, succumbing to spirited challenges from both Imo (1-0) and Kaduna ,3-1). The female hockey team, despite a valiant effort, also tasted a narrow defeat against the formidable Kaduna Queens.

Mohammed Balumi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, expressed his palpable disappointment with the team's initial outings. However, he remains optimistic, holding out hope that the Yobe athletes, now hopefully more rested, will display renewed vigor and deliver improved performances as the festival progresses.

The Director of Sports Yobe State, Dr. Mohammed Ago said all hopes is not lost, at least with the Female Hockey Team which Still has two matches to compete for.

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