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Team Bayelsa’s quest to give the State good representation at the maiden edition of the National Intermediate Games in Lagos next year has continued to receive a boost with the athletes making statements of intent in the ongoing South South zonal elimination for team sports in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The Bayelsa men team in the first match of the day played out a one-all draw with neighbours, Rivers State courtesy of Jude Onisoya’s goal before the late minute equalizer from Rivers State. Bayelsa in the second game held Delta, who had earlier pummeled host, Cross River 4-1.
Bayelsa need to beat Cross River in their third game to ensure that they qualify for the main fiesta slated for the first quarter of 2027 in the nation’s commercial city of Lagos.
Abula produced a stunning performance with both the male and female teams securing a place at the Intermediate Games. Team Bayelsa defeated Cross River and Rivers but lost to Delta to finish second in the female category while the men won all their three games to claim the top spot.
In basketball, the Bayelsa female team also secured qualification to the fiesta by finishing second with a 42-19 win over Cross River but narrowly lost to Delta, who finished first in the zone, by 29-30.
In other games, Team Bayelsa in the men’s beach volleyball progressed to the tournament proper by defeating Rivers by 2 sets to 1 after each set ended 21-19; 15-9 and 16-21 before going ahead to beat Akwa Ibom 2-0 in the second game — 21-16; 21-13 while the female team unfortunately, failed to qualify for the main Games.
Team Bayelsa in the women’s volleyball event produced an astounding performance by finishing ahead of Delta with three wins out of three while the men could not make it to the Games proper.
In the women’s event, Bayelsa defeated Rivers 8-2 while the men dispatched perennial rivals, Delta State 20-17 to secure qualification with the final round of matches coming up on Saturday September 12th, 2026.
Head Coach of Bayelsa State team, Jeffrey Osas Omoruyi in an interview, commended the girls for the show of determination and dexterity displayed at the zonal eliminations.
Team Bayelsa have now qualified for Abula men and women; beach volleyball men; volleyball women; handball both men and women and basketball women.
Action resumes on Saturday, September 12th, 2026 as the South South zonal elimination enters its final lap.
