Two swimming prodigy siblings, Deborah and Anita Okpochini, on Monday, powered the University of Port Harcourt’s team to a gold medal in the 4×100m swimming race at the ongoing National University Games, 2022, ongoing at the University of Lagos.
The Okpochini sisters were also medalists in their respective individual races, with Deborah clinching bronze in 100m butterfly race while her sister Anita emerged silver medalist.
The Team UNIPORT won the 4×100m with a record time of 4:52:68 while the second place team, the University of Ibadan, recorded a time of 6:19:60, with Obafemi Awolowo University came third place by posting a time of 7:14:80.
Speaking with newsmen, Deborah said the tournament was going the way the team wanted it.
“We are having a good run in this tournament because Team Port Harcourt is still leading the medals table.
“I did not come to swimming just by sheer luck, I was introduced to it at a tender age while in primary school and since then I have not looked back. I started off with 25m, then I was introduced to bigger tournaments.
“I have benefited a lot in Swimming because I have been able to travel within and outside Nigeria. I have participated in about three National Sports Festival where I won many gold medals.
I love Freestyle events of the Swimming because it is my speciality although I normally put in for a minimum of 10 events,” she said.
The younger Anita said that her sister introduced her to swimming after which they had both attended many swimming events together.
In the other results, in 100m men’s final, Team UNIPORT took the gold medal with the time of 58:21 by Nnor Ifeanyichukwu, while Opute Onyeamachi, with a time of 1:00:80, got silver for Ignatus Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt.
The bronze medal was won by Forcados Jonah from Nile University, Abuja with the time of 1:00:87.
Generally, the Day 1 medal table for swimming were as follows.
University of Port Harcourt led the medals table with four gold, two silver and three bronze medals, Nile University, Abuja was in second place with three gold, two silver and two bronze.
Ignatus Ajuru University of Education Port Harcourt came third with one gold and silver, host UNILAG, fourth place with two silver and University of Ibadan in fifth place with one silver
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife came sixth with two bronze medals, while Benson Idahosa University occupied seventh place with one bronze medal.
NAN