Rampant Sokoto crush Bauchi to storm into Handball semi-finals at National Sports Festival
Team Sokoto delivered a ruthless performance on Sunday as they obliterated Bauchi 45–18 to book their place in the semi-finals of the women’s handball event at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
Sokoto asserted their dominance from the very first blast of the whistle, racing to a 24–12 lead at half time before piling on more pressure in the second half to complete a 27-goal demolition of their northern rivals.
Meanwhile, hosts Ogun State also impressed their fans with a hard-fought 39–33 victory over Delta in another quarter-final clash. Ogun led 20–15 at the break and managed to hold off a spirited fight back from Delta in the second half to keep their medal hopes alive on home soil.
In one of the most intense encounters of the day, Team Kogi pulled off a surprise win over Oyo, triumphing 30–24. Kogi established an early advantage with an 18–10 lead in the first half and maintained their composure to fend off Oyo’s efforts at a comeback.
The final quarter-final match saw Edo state edge Lagos 25–20. Edo took control with a 12–9 first-half lead and never looked back, sealing a place in the last four with a disciplined second-half display.
With Sokoto, Ogun, Kogi, and Edo now through to the semi-finals, the stage is set for a thrilling finish to the women’s handball event at the 2025 National Sports Festival in Abeokuta.
