Team Ondo shone at the just-concluded South West Zonal Elimination for the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF), held in Ibadan, Oyo State, securing qualification in four out of the seven games they participated in.

The Sunshine State reaffirmed its reputation as a sporting powerhouse in the South West region and Nigeria by excelling in ball games.

The state participated in seven ball games: Football (Male), Abula (Male, Female, and Mixed Doubles), Beach Volleyball (Male and Female), Volleyball (Male), Handball (Male), Basketball (Female), and Hockey (Male).

The Abula male team secured the first qualification ticket to the 22nd National Sports Festival, scheduled to hold in Ogun State, by defeating Lagos and Oyo to claim first place.

The female team also qualified, finishing second after winning against Lagos but losing to Oyo. However, in the mixed doubles, they placed second after losing to the Lagos team.

The state’s female basketball team also booked their ticket, finishing in second place after losing to Lagos but securing victories against Oyo and Osun.

The Ondo State male football team also secured a place in the NSF. Despite losing to Lagos, they won against Oyo and shared a point with Ekiti State, gathering a total of four points to place second.

However, luck ran out for the state’s male hockey team, male handball team, and both male and female beach volleyball teams, as they failed to qualify for the main tournament.

One of the biggest highlights of the elimination was the state’s male volleyball team’s historic qualification. The Sunshine Spikers, as they are fondly called, finished first after defeating Lagos 3-0, Osun 3-0, and Oyo 3-2, proving their dominance as the defending champions of the National Sports Festival.

Speaking on the team’s performance, the General Manager of the Ondo State Sports Council, Sunday Fagite, commended the athletes for their resilience, attributing their success to the timely support of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Fagite expressed gratitude to the governor for his unwavering commitment to sports development in the state.

He assured that efforts would be made to fine-tune the team’s preparations ahead of the 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State later this year.

The elated general manager praised the athletes for their exceptional determination and sportsmanship, assuring them of the necessary support to shine on the national stage.

He added that Team Ondo is poised to deliver another outstanding performance at the festival.

With qualification secured in male football, male volleyball, female basketball, and Abula (male, female, and mixed doubles), the state contingents will now shift their focus to Ogun State, aiming to build on their zonal elimination success and reinforce their dominance at the forthcoming 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024.

The team is set to depart Ibadan for Akure on Friday, 28 February 2025.