Team Ogun’s Taiwo Ogunbanwo Stuns Nigeria’s No. 1 To Win Gold In 10m Air Rifle Shooting

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – In a thrilling showdown at the Cinema Hall of the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, the atmosphere was electric as Taiwo Ogunbanwo of Team Ogun delivered a stunning performance to clinch gold in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event at the National Sports Festival.

Ogunbanwo outclassed seven top competitors, including Nigeria’s number one ranked shooter, to secure a memorable victory for the host state.

The unexpected triumph not only earned Taiwo a place on the podium but also sparked jubilation among the home crowd, solidifying his status as a rising star in Nigerian shooting sports.

Taiwo fired 24 shots in 12 rounds with 225.4 points to dislodge Nigeria’s number one from Delta State, Okposo Esugo, who scored 223.5 and Borno’s Samuel Okanlawon who polled 204.0 point to win the bronze medal.

It would be recalled that Okposo Esugo of Delta state has been dominating the gold medal in 10m air rifle for the past 15 years a feat, which earned him Nigeria number one shooter.

But Ogunbanwo’s heroic display on Thursday night has further improved Ogun State performance on the medals table.

Similarly, the duo of Taiwo Ogunbanwo and Oluremi Emmanuel claimed silver medals in the team’s 10m air rifle for Team Ogun. They lost the gold medals to Delta’s Okposo Esugo and Diri Joseph.

Reacting to his victory, Taiwo Ogunbanwo attributed his success to the adequate preparation and effective working tools provided by the Ogun state government to prepare for the festival.

Ogunbanwo said the N2.5 million promised by Governor Dapo Abiodun further motivated him and lifted his spirit.

This gold medal added to Ogun State’s medal haul and reinforces the state’s growing profile in precision sports on the national stage.