Team Abia have emerged champions of the second edition of the Abia National Darts Championship, held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Umuahia Township Stadium.
The host state topped the keenly contested championship with an impressive haul of three gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Rivers State finished second with two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, while Edo State placed third with two gold and three bronze medals. Oyo State took fourth position with one gold and two bronze medals.
Enugu State finished fifth with two silver and two bronze medals, while Imo State occupied sixth position with two silver medals. Delta State completed the standings in seventh place with two bronze medals.
Abia’s duo of Nnamdi Ukaegbu and Evans Ononikpo produced some of the championship’s most outstanding performances. Ukaegbu claimed gold in the men’s singles, while Ononikpo settled for silver. The pair, however, combined brilliantly to win gold in the men’s doubles.
In the mixed doubles, Chinecherem Jacob and Uchechi Brown secured silver, while Brown partnered Chigozie Adigo to win two bronze medals in the women’s doubles.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, the Technical Director of the Darts Federation of Nigeria, Christopher Amin, traced the origins of darts to ancient times, when men developed skills associated with self-defence and combat.
Amin noted that although darts was yet to gain widespread popularity in this part of the world, it had become a well-established sport in Europe and America.
According to him, darts offers more than recreation, as it can help take young people off the streets while also improving their academic performance because of the calculations and concentration required in the game.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Abia State Darts Association, Rev. Fr. Dr Emmanuel Okeiyi, congratulated all the participants for their impressive performances, stressing that “sports bring discipline and knowledge.”
The Chairman further noted that sports could be as influential as religion in bringing about positive transformation in society.
The President of the Darts Federation of Nigeria, Mr Awolola Adeyemi Isiaka, disclosed that 13 states and clubs participated in the second edition of the championship.
Isiaka expressed optimism that the success recorded in Abia would encourage participation from all 36 states in the country when the third edition is held.
Meanwhile, the ongoing renovation of the Umuahia Township Stadium is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.
The cheering news was disclosed by the Abia State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Sir Nwaobilor Nwadimma Ananaba, on the sidelines of the darts championship.
According to the Commissioner, the renovation will include the regrassing of the football pitch and the installation of tartan tracks to facilitate athletics competitions.
Ananaba also assured sports stakeholders that the ongoing renovation would not in any way affect the commencement of work on the proposed International Sports Complex, which, he said, would commence very soon.
Commenting on the recent lacklustre performances of Enyimba International and Abia Warriors in the Nigeria Premier Football League, the Commissioner expressed confidence that both clubs would bounce back and return to reckoning in no distant time.
Highlights of the closing ceremony included the presentation of medals, trophies and cash prizes to the outstanding athletes and teams.
