BATTLE FOR MEDALS REACHES FEVER PITCH AS WINNERS EMERGE IN TABLE TENNIS, TENNIS, AND CYBER GAMES
The final group stage of football and the final phases of table tennis, tennis, and cyber games kicked off the 2023 Nigeria Bankers Games over the weekend. Athletes from the participating banks performed admirably, as 47 medals have been earned so far.
It was a great weekend thanks to the attendance of top bank executives and fans who came out to support their colleagues.
TABLE TENNIS
The table tennis event was ready to come to a thrilling conclusion when participants faced off in the final rounds. The male singles category was a rematch of the invincible 2022 finals. Frederick Rekuoya of Sterling Bank recovered his title after dominating the tournament for almost 9 seasons, defeating Abiodun Bakare of First Bank. Access Bank’s Ilufoye Hafeez and Wema Bank’s Raqeeb Raheem tied for third place.
In the men’s doubles event, Access Warriors’ Ilufoye Hafeez and Akinti Oluwashina fought hard to win gold after defeating First Bank’s Elephant combo of Solomon Idowu and Abiodun Bakare in the last round. First Bank ended as first runners-up, while FCMB and WEMA Bank took both bronze positions with Oluwaremi Owolabi & Odegbile Kehinde then Raqeeb Raheem & Iheanacho James, respectively.
Wema Bank dominated the final stage in the female category, with two of their representatives reaching the semi-finals in the female singles. Bukola Olorunmaje and Taiwo Awolesi ensured that the final was a wema bank affair by winning gold and silver medals, respectively. Bronze medalists were Olayemi Okam of First Bank and Nwaegbu Chinedum of Sterling Bank.
In the double category, the female duo of Wema Bank – Bukola Olorunmaje and Taiwo Awolesi made it back-to-back gold medals after defeating the duo of Sterling Bank – Nwaegbu Chinedum & Nwakagbo Ijeoma. Bronze medals were awarded to First Bank and Access Bank.
Raqeeb Raheem and Bukola Olorunmaje of Wema Bank defeated Sterling Bank’s mixed doubles players – Frederick Rekuoya and Nwakagbo Ijeoma – to win the gold medal. The NBG Table Tennis King has yet to break the jinx of the double and mixed, since he is vanquished in these categories.
TENNIS
The final match of the tennis tournament was held on Sunday, November 5, 2023, at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. New winners emerged in the tennis event, which was not included in the previous edition of the Nigeria Bankers Games.
First Bank advanced to the finals of the male singles category, where he faced off against Sterling Bank’s Segun Adesanya. After a tough struggle, Gafar Olaleye defeated his opponent, Segun Adesanya, to win the gold crown. Adedoyin Adegoju of Sterling Bank and Ikemefuna Nwachukwu of First Bank fought hard on the lawn and won bronze medals.
Sterling Bank maintained the men’s doubles title, albeit with a different pair of combination – Ibrahim Ganiyu & Adedoyin Aderoju defeating First Bank – Gafar Olaleye/Amana Atumeyi. Access Bank’s Chukwuma Okigbo/Gbenga Surakat and Wema Bank’s Hezekiah Oyeyonde/Opeyemi Afolani won bronze medals for their efforts on the court.
In the female singles category, former Union Bank player and 2018 bronze medallist – Oluwatoyin Solana, who now represents First Bank, won her first gold medal in the tennis event, defeating Access Warrior representative – Chisom Ezimah.
In the doubles category, The First Bank team of Oluwatoyin Solana and Onuoha Stellamaris upset Wema Bank’s team of Bukola Olorunmaje and Taiwo Awolesi to win gold.
Sterling Duo – Yinka Adams/Segun Adesanya – put on a show of experience in the mixed doubles. First Bank’s Oluwatoyin Solana/Chima Okereke combo was defeated, while Wema Bank received a bronze medal.
CYBERGAMES
Morounfolu Laseinde of Sterling Bank won the FIFA 24 competition at the Nigeria Bankers Games NBG 2023, upsetting previous champion Seun Olumiluwa of Wema Bank to take home the gold medal. Access Bank also finished on the podium, bringing home the bronze prize.
In the Mortal Kombat male category, Olakunle Sotubo of FCMB retained his gold medal title while Wema Bank settled for silver. Last year’s silver medalist Young Iroh of FCMB, went home with bronze this year.
The Mortal Kombat female category saw Wema Bank sweep the podium, claiming both gold and bronze medals. FCMB has to settle for silver this year.
The NBG 2023 video game competitions were intense and thrilling, displaying the talents of personnel from Nigeria’s banking sector. The games provided a venue for participants to network, establish camaraderie, and engage in some healthy competition.
FOOTBALL
In a thrilling day of football action, Access Bank narrowly defeated First Bank of Nigeria by a goal to nil while Wema Bank edged out Keystone Bank by the same score line. These victories secure Access Bank and Wema Bank a place in the semi-finals of the NBG 2023 football tournament.
In a thrilling encounter, Access Bank edged out First Bank of Nigeria by a narrow margin of 1-0. The game showcased both teams’ tactical prowess and commitment, with Access Bank emerging as the more clinical side.
Wema Bank also faced stiff competition from Keystone Bank but managed to hold on for a 1-0 victory. The match was a closely fought affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. However, Wema Bank’s defensive resilience ultimately paid off.
WHAT HAPPEN NEXT!!!
The newcomer Access Warrior will face the spirited Wema Bank team in the first Semi-final match. Wema Bank will be looking to change the story of the 2022 edition to book the first final ticket while the debutant will want to write a new story of having the 1st final slot in the 2023 edition of the NBG.
The 2nd Semi-final fixtures will be a repeat of the 2022 final of the Nigeria Bankers Games as both teams will fight for the last finals slot of the NBG 2023 Football match. The match will see the defending champion – Sterling jet locking horns with 5-times semi-finalist First Bank as it will be a battle of the titans.
Saturday will also see the commencement of the Athletics, Chess, and Scrabble while the Volleyball event will conclude.
| DAY 4
Saturday 11th Nov |
1.00 pm – 2.20 pm | 2.30 pm – 3.00 pm | 3.15 pm – 4.30 pm |
| SEMI-FINAL 1
Access Bank v Wema Bank |
FOOTBALL CHALLENGE | SEMI-FINAL 2
Sterling Bank V First Bank |
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| OTHER EVENTS DAY 3
ACCREDITATION/ KICK-OFF – 10 AM VOLLEYBALL – Conclusion SCRABBLE & CHESS – Start & Finish ATHLETICS HEATS – 100m, 200m, 400m |
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MEDALS TABLE SO FAR
| POSITION | BANK | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| 1 | Sterling Bank | 4 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
| 2 | Wema Bank | 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | First Bank | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| 4 | Access Bank | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 5 | FCMB | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Fela is the Co-founder of MediaVision Limited .
