The ongoing 2018 National Sports Festival in Abuja will go down in the history of the country as a competition of surprises and upsets.
When the biggest multi-sports tournament in the country got underway some days ago, many followers of sports expected the usual suspects to dominate the medals roll call but any such believe have been discounted with events in the Federal Capital Territory.
Some of the newcomers at the Sports Festival have shown no respect for the experienced athletes by defeating the latter in the knockout stages.
One of such surprises and perhaps the biggest of such upsets so far is the defeat of six-time Olympian and table tennis veteran, Funke Oshonaike by an unknown 19- year-old, Nimota Aregbesola in the quarter final. Ordinarily, one would have expected this fixture to be a walk in the park for Oshonaike but the tennis star, despite her huge experience suffered a humiliating defeat in the hands of the teenager. Though Oshonaike blamed her defeat on fatigue, poor condition of the tables and the slippery floor, l however wonder whether she would have come up with such excuse if she had defeated the untested Aregbesola on Monday.
Earlier, Oshonaike who represented Akwa Ibom at the National Sports Festival suffered another defeat in the mixed doubles alongside Segun Toriola. The duo who have 13 Olympic Games between them were defeated 12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8 by Funmilola Ajala and 56-year-old Taofeeq Maya from Oyo State.
In another surprise result in Abuja, the highly underrated Anambra Volleyball team defeated their FCT compatriots.
The surprise results aside, a certain 6-year-old, Deborah Quickpen is making the headlines as the youngest participant at the NSF in Abuja. The little Deborah who is a chess player has proven to anyone who cares that age is no barrier in sports.
At this stage of her age, one would expect Deborah to have a litany of dolls with different names and other toys to play with like her peers.
Deborah, who hails from Bayelsa and started playing the game at two, was barely six months old when the last edition of the competition was held in Lagos in 2012.
Like her competitors who may even be older than her parents, the little girl has the ambition to win laurels before departing Abuja. Interestingly, Deborah who won Bronze at the National Youth Games in Ilorin early this year is in the company of her mother, Verazini Quickpin, who is also determined to win honours in scrabble event.
On the flip side of the tag of Deborah as the youngest athlete at the 2018 NSF is Maya, who is the oldest at 56.
According to reports, the Oyo table tennis player last appeared in national camp some 17 years ago having won gold medal on his National Sports Festival debut in 1989.
The ageless Maya is on the verge of being decorated yet again after that upset in the table tennis mixed doubles.
Meanwhile, while Delta, Rivers, Kano and Lagos states continued where they left off in 2012 Kwara is struggling on the medals chart with only one gold, four silver and three bronze won so far.
The investment in kits of athletes by the Chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS), Dr Murital Awodun aside, it is imperative the state government provide the right support and rewarding system for sportsmen and women. Failure to do this, our nurtured talents will continue to pitch their tent with big spenders in sports like Delta, Rivers and Cross River State.
Off the tracks, Lagos State supporters have continued to impress the crowd with their colourful attires and unrivalled songs.
