Abia State continues to make a bold statement at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival—Gateway Games 2024—holding in Ogun State, with a growing tally of 47 medals as of May 25, 2025.
ABN TV reports that the medal haul includes 9 gold, 9 silver, and 29 bronze, placing the state among the top-performing contingents at the national sporting event.
Team Abia recorded a productive outing on Saturday, May 24, across several sports. In Athletics, Kalu Eke Onwuka, popularly known as Scorpion, won gold in the Shot Put event with an impressive throw of 16.90m, while Esther Oleka finished 5th in the Female Long Jump. In Para-Powerlifting, Nnanna Ijeri clinched gold in the 86+kg category with a lift of 122kg, though teammate Joy Nworgu was sidelined due to injury.
Abia also added to its medal haul in Gymnastics, where Olorunfemi Aduemi Samuel won gold in the High Bar and bronze in Rings, while Quoyun Ayomide earned bronze in the Pommel Horse. In Kickboxing, Sunday defeated Edo State to win bronze in the 81kg category, with three other athletes still in contention for medals. Darts athlete Uchechi Brown made history by setting a national record with a Game Shot score of 156.
Additional medals came in Para-Athletics from Ike Godwin Kalu (bronze in Javelin Throw Point), Karate via Okpokiri Emmanuel (bronze in Individual Kumite -84kg), and Shooting, where the team secured two bronzes in pistol events. Squash duo Esther Opiye and Jannifer Mmaduka Uzor advanced to the semi-finals in the female doubles category.
Despite a narrow 1-0 loss to Enugu in football, and mixed results in Boxing marred by complaints of questionable officiating, Team Abia remains resilient. With 16 more events left in Shooting and several other disciplines ongoing, officials are optimistic that the state’s medal tally will rise even higher before the festival ends.
Abia’s outstanding showing reflects not only the talent of its athletes but also their determination to elevate the state’s name in Nigerian sports.
