At the conclusion of the 2026 Teqball World Championship Qualifiers in Aba on Saturday, Delta State athletes Victor Oyemade and Rejoice Jatau delivered stellar displays, securing coveted qualification tickets for the upcoming global showpiece in Budapest, Hungary. In addition, Aganmuyi Omokehinde secured a gold medal for Abia State, earning the right to don national colors at the championship scheduled for December.
At the end of hostilities, Delta State emerged at the summit of the medal standings with three gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze. Abia State followed closely in second position with one gold and two silver medals, while Rivers State garnered one gold and three bronze medals. Lagos State rounded out the podium places by claiming a single bronze medal.
Hosted at the historic Aba Sports Club, the tournament featured intense contests across men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles categories. A total of 14 states competed for honors and national team selection.
How did the finals unfold?
Nigeria's top-ranked Tequer, Victor Oyemade representing Delta State, cemented his status by defeating fellow state-man Mikel Enebechukwu in the men's singles gold-match. Oyemade triumphed in straight sets, 12-8, 12-5, to claim the crown and book his flight to Budapest.
In the women's singles division, Rejoice Jatau—also carrying Delta's colors—overcame compatriot Efemena Ekeke with a 12-8, 12-7 victory to lift the trophy. Meanwhile, the women's doubles final saw Abia State's pair of Aganmuyi Omokehinde and Mariam Abdulasheed outplay Delta's Efemena Ekeke and Miracle Edafe 12-10, 12-9 to secure top honors.
Rivers State likewise stamped its authority on the competition when Joshua Musa and Ikoko Andrew fought back from a set down to defeat Abia's Khalid Yahyah and Tobi Mejedji 8-12, 12-5, 12-9 in a thrilling men's doubles encounter.
What lies ahead for the qualifiers?
The five gold medal-winning contingents will now shift their focus to preparing for the 2026 Teqball World Championships in the Hungarian capital, where they are expected to fly the nation's flag high against global opponents.
Speaking at the conclusion of the event, the Abia State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba, alongside the State Director of Sports, Obioma George, lauded Governor Alex Otti for providing the necessary backing to successfully host the national trials.
They further challenged the victorious athletes to maintain their momentum and conquer the global stage for Nigeria.