Nigeria, April 8 -- Team Bayelsa has emerged as the overall champion of the first-ever Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), edging out sports powerhouses Delta and Edo in a thrilling medal race that came down to the wire in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

In what many sports observers describe as a surprise finish, Bayelsa's athletes put on an impressive performance across multiple events to top the medal table with 42 gold medals-just one more than Delta State, who finished with 41. Bayelsa also secured 29 silver and 15 bronze medals, bringing their total to 86.

The week-long festival, which brought together over 3,000 athletes from the nine Niger Delta states, was sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). It featured 17 sports ...