The North Central Zonal Eliminations for the maiden National Intermediate Games entered the competitive stage on Friday, with Plateau State recording mixed results across the team sports.í
Five of the seven states in the North Central Zone registered for the eliminations, with Plateau, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory battling for qualification slots ahead of the National Intermediate Games in Lagos.
PLATEAU HANDBALL PRODUCE DRAMATIC TURNAROUND
Plateau’s male handball team began their campaign with a 35-32 defeat to Niger at the Rwang Pam Stadium.
The team responded strongly in their next encounter against Kwara, securing a narrow 22-21 victory.
However, the match ended prematurely after Kwara abandoned the game in protest over a disputed scoring decision.
The match officials subsequently awarded the game to Plateau, although the team’s final qualification position will depend on the outcome of Saturday’s encounter between Niger and Kwara.
HOCKEY BATTLE GOES TO THE WIRE
At the Police Field, Plateau’s male hockey team played out a 2-2 draw with Kwara after regulation time.
Both teams had earlier benefited from walkovers against Nasarawa and remained level on points following the draw.
The contest could not be settled before darkness, forcing the extra-time decider to be moved to Saturday morning.
VOLLEYBALL CHALLENGE BECOMES TOUGHER
Plateau’s male volleyball team faces an uphill battle for qualification after suffering defeats to both Nasarawa and Kwara at the Rayfield venue.
The Plateau side lost 3-1 to Nasarawa before going down 3-2 to Kwara, leaving them with little room for error ahead of their final encounter.
The team will face Niger on Saturday knowing that a strong result will be necessary to keep their qualification hopes alive.
RUGBY SPOT SECURED WITHOUT A MATCH
Plateau has secured automatic qualification in rugby after no state in the North Central Zone presented a team for the competition.
The absence of competing teams means the rugby slot will be decided without any matches being played.
WOMEN’S EVENTS TAKE CENTRE STAGE ON SATURDAY
Attention will shift to the female competitions on Saturday, with the women’s handball and hockey events scheduled to take place at their respective venues.
The results will further shape Plateau’s prospects as the zonal eliminations continue towards the conclusion of the North Central competition.
With qualification places at stake, Saturday promises another decisive day for the participating states as they battle for representation at the National Intermediate Games in Lagos.