Rivers State Hosts Thrilling Softball Championship

... As Sharks Stadium Sizzles with excitement.

The city of Port Harcourt is abuzz with excitement as the 3rd edition of the Professor Ndi Okereke Softball Competition got underway at the iconic Sharks Stadium. The tournament, which features 15 teams from across Nigeria, is being contested in two categories: Senior Girls and Under-12 Boys, with the latter focused on nurturing young talent for the future of the game.

In the Senior Girls' category, the stakes are high, with the winning team set to take home a grand prize of one million naira, while the second and third-placed teams will receive five hundred thousand and three hundred thousand naira, respectively.

In the opening game of the competition, defending champions Team Rivers made a strong statement, defeating Team Oyo 18-4. Coach Henry Ogidi praised his team's performance but acknowledged areas for improvement, saying, "I will say my girls did well, but they didn't do better. I think we'll have to go back to the drawing board."

Defendi Champion, Team Rivers

Team Oyo's coach, Sunday Julius Ariel, attributed the loss to fatigue, stating, "We were on the road for two days, and of course, I knew there would be fatigue, we were really not prepared."

Today's fixtures promise to deliver more thrilling softball action, with matches kicking off at 7am between Bayelsa and Team Imo, followed by Delta Queens vs Team Akwa Ibom at 9am, and Badagry vs Team Enugu at 10:30am.

Other matches on the schedule include Rivers Baptist vs Team Abuja at 12:20pm, Delta Queens vs Imo at 2pm, Delta Force vs Led Warriors at 3:40pm, and Adekalu vs Badagry Angels at 5:20pm.

All matches are being played live at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, and promise to keep fans on the edge of their seats.