Shola Olowookere of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has emerged champion of the lightweight category of the Taekwondo event after a testy match against Olubanjo Awoyele of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt.

The match held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the UNILAG at the ongoing Nigeria University Games (NUGA) had the homeboy Olowookere enjoy the maximum support to win the keenly contested fight.

In other results, Tofunmi Olumuyiwa from Obafemi Awolowo University, and Kehinde Olawoyin from the University of Benin, emerged bronze medalists in the lightweight category.

Sherifat Hassan from the University of Ilorin won the gold medal in the women’s lightweight category. Joy Aiyegbeni of the University of Osun got the silver, the duo of Ifeachukwu Okoro from Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and Blessing Obaitan from the University of Benin emerged bronze medalists.

The women’s fineweight category gold medal was won by Shukurat Abdusalam from the University of Ibadan. The silver podium finish went the way of Naheemat Abdulrahim from the University of Ilorin.

The duo of Mercy Yakubu of the University of Maiduguri and Esther Owopetu from the University of Ilorin won the bronze medal.

In the flyweight women category, Hilda Aebo from Ahmadu Bello University, Bauchi won gold, while Zainab Oyelami, a representative of Al-Hilkmah University, Ilorin won silver.

The duo of Dorcas Paul from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and Eki Ogbe of the University of Benin, shared the podium finish with a bronze medal.

In the welterweight category for women, Chindimma Okechi from the Federal University of Technology, Minna won gold, Michelle Adeyanju of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife won silver. Mercy Bassey from the University of Uyo and Chiawa Osinachi of UNILAG won the bronze medal.

Reacting to his shocking loss to Olowookere, the silver medalist, Awoyele, said despite his efforts at winning the coveted gold medal, his strength failed him.

“I threw everything into the fight, but unfortunately, I cannot carry on. Congratulations to the champions,” he said. 

(NAN)