Team University of Port Harcourt has extended its lead on the medals table in a last minute gold rush at the ongoing 26th Nigeria University Games (NUGA) at the University of Lagos.

Team UNIPORT sit comfortably at the summit of the medals table with an unassailable lead of 50 gold, 23 silver and 26 bronze, totally 99 medals.

Also the defending champions, Team UNIPORT having won the 25th NUGA in 2017 with 70 medals, have improved in the 26th edition with 99 medals.

The strength of Team Uniport, however, lies in individual sports where they dominated the podium finish in swimming with 20 gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals.

The Team Uniport were also dominant in Tennis, athletics and combat sports such as Judo, Karate, Taekwondo.

In the second place is the host, Team UNILAG, with 25 gold, 27 silver and 19 bronze, making a total of 71 medals.

Team Nile University, Abuja, the surprise team of the competition, occupy third place with 15 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze to make a haul of 38 medals.

Team Nile was also dominant in swimming with 11 gold, eight silver and 11 bronze medals.

University of Ilorin occupies the fourth row with six gold, eight silver and three bronze, with a total of 24 medals.

They are followed by another surprise entrant, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, in fifth position with six gold, eight silver and three bronze, totalling 17 medals.

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, sits sixth on the table with six gold, two silver and 14 bronze, to secure a total of 22 medals; while University of Benin emerged seventh with four gold, three silver and five bronze, totalling 22 medals.

Federal University of Technology Akure occupies eight place on the table with four gold, two silver and seven bronze, with a total of 13 medals, while University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has four gold, one silver and four bronze, total of nine medals to sit ninth.

The 10th placed team is University of Uyo, with three gold, three silver and nine bronze, to secure a 15 medals at the event.

A total of 73 universities featured in the 2022 NUGA games, and participated in 17 sporting activities with over 10,000 contingents and volunteers hosted by UNILAG.

(NAN)