Nigeria, May 24 -- Team Ogun's pursuit of cricket gold at the 2024 National Sports Festival came to an end on Friday as both the men's and women's squads fell short in their T20 semifinal matches at the MKO Abiola Cricket Oval.

The defeats, though disappointing for the host state, shift the focus to Saturday's bronze medal playoffs where Ogun will aim to finish strong and bolster its overall medal count at the Gateway Games.

In the men's semifinal, Ogun suffered a heavy nine-wicket defeat to Team Edo.

Edo's bowlers restricted Ogun's batting lineup effectively before chasing down the target with ease.

Ogun will now take on Team Oyo in the men's third-place playoff. Oyo also missed out on the final after a close loss to Kaduna.

The wom...