From the beginning of the 1st Basic Education School Sport (BESS) Games, Ondo State maintained its lead on the medals table and ultimately emerged as the overall champion.
The event in Abuja which held from November 6 to 15 saw Akwa Ibom's Hephzibah Gabriel-Okon named the overall best athlete.
Organised by the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), this multi-sport event aims to discover talents among primary school pupils nationwide.
Over 1,000 pupils from 25 states, including host FCT, competed in nine events: Athletics, Ayo, Badminton, Chess, Table Tennis, Football, Scrabble, Handball, and Volleyball. The athletes collectively won 139 medals across 40 events.
Ondo State topped the medal tally with nine gold, 13 silver, and nine bronze medals. Akwa Ibom followed in second place with six gold, five silver, and six bronze medals, while host Abuja finished third with five gold, three silver, and nine bronze medals.
Gabriel-Okon dazzled with her gold medal performances in the girls' 100m, 200m, 400m, and 4x100m relay, contributing four of Akwa Ibom's six gold medals.
At the weekend's closing ceremony, UBEC Executive Secretary, Hamid Bobboyi, praised the athletes' performances, reaffirming the commission's commitment to school sports development.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, represented by his Special Adviser, Technical, Bawa Michael, highlighted the athletes' performances as evidence of the country's abundant sporting talent.
NSSF President, Olabisi Joseph, commended UBEC and the participating states for their commitment, which made the tournament a success.
She emphasized the event's role in showcasing talent, fostering sportsmanship, and promoting national unity.
"As we close this chapter, we start a new journey to nurture and encourage our young athletes to keep participating in sports, giving them opportunities to compete in global and continental events. We look forward to the next edition," she said.
The closing ceremony was attended by notable figures, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Mukhtar Shagaya; the Dean of Chairmen, SUBEB, Professor Shehu Adaramaja; Director of Academy Services, UBEC, Mr. Roseline Medubi; and SUBEB Chairman from Abuja, Ekiti, Borno, and Anambra.
