Team Imo medal surge intensified at the 2nd Niger Delta Games in Benin City as standout performances across athletics and Para Powerlifting lifted the state to nine medals and renewed confidence inside the camp.
Blessing Ukoha led the charge with a commanding gold medal in the women’s discus at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, adding silver in the shot put to underline her dominance in the throws.
Her discus display proved decisive, as she out-threw rivals from across the Niger Delta to secure the top podium finish and boost Imo’s athletics tally.
When momentum found its spark
Sunday, February 22, 2026, marked a turning point.
Akubueze Martin Awunezie powered his way to victory in the Men’s 65kg Para Powerlifting event, lifting an imposing 155kg to clinch Team Imo’s first gold medal of the Games. The breakthrough ignited momentum that quickly translated into multiple podium finishes.
Gerald Ukandu added to the celebration by clinching gold in the Boys’ Discus event, delivering the state’s second athletics triumph of the competition.
The system effect was immediate. Early gold medals often shape morale, reinforce preparation strategies, and influence competitive belief within multi-sport camps.
The medals kept coming
Imo’s athletics contingent sustained the rhythm.
Ifechukwu Esther Nwankwo claimed silver in the women’s 400m hurdles, clocking 62.24 seconds in a tightly contested race. Ukoha had earlier opened the medal account in shot put before sealing her double-medal haul with discus gold.
Para Powerlifting delivered further returns. Eugenia Chioma Enwere secured silver in the Women’s 45kg category with a 70kg lift, while Nkemjika Cletus Iwuoha (Men’s 72kg, 145kg), Ujunwa Chinyere Obianuju (Women’s 86+kg, 90kg), and Kasarachi Maryjane Ugochukwu (Women’s 67kg, 82kg) each powered to bronze medals.
Wisdom Metu (Taekwondo, Men’s 58kg) and Christogonus Umeyor (Traditional Wrestling, Men’s 62kg) also contributed bronze finishes to cap a productive sequence for the Eastern Heartland side.
What this means beyond Benin
The growing medal tally — now one gold, three silver and five bronze — reflects deliberate investment in youth and sports development, according to the Chairman of the Imo State Sports Commission, Hon. Prince Sir (Amb.) Eleazer Onyewuchi Ogbonna FINCA.
He praised the athletes as “true ambassadors of the Eastern Heartland”, highlighting their resilience and discipline as drivers of the state’s rise on the medal table.
Multi-sport competitions are rarely decided by isolated brilliance. Depth across events, steady podium accumulation, and psychological momentum often determine final standings.
With medal hopes still alive in several events, Team Imo’s immediate objective is clear: surpass its previous performance in Uyo and solidify its status as an emerging sporting force within the Niger Delta region.
If the current trajectory holds, this campaign may mark a structural shift rather than a temporary surge.
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