Bayelsa athletes lament govt’s refusal to fulfill cash promise since 2023 …Says, medalists abandoned after making the state proud

Bayelsa state athletes who participated in the African Wrestling Championship, the Tunisia Beach Wresting and other games that took place in 2023, have lamented that the state government has not fulfilled its promise to gift medalists and participants their cash rewards.

Granting audience to NAIJA LIVE TV in Yenagoa, some of the participants, (name withheld) said Gov. Douye Diri in 2023, after recieving the wrestlers, promised to reward all medalists and participants in the above competition with various cash rewards.

The athletes further revealed that, for more than a year after, the athletes who won various medals and made Bayelsa state and the country proud during the games are yet to receive their cash rewards as promised widely by the Prosperity Government.

NAIJA LIVE TV Recall that the Governor of Bayelsa state, Sen. Douye Diri, while welcoming the medalists back home in his office pronounced that for the SENIOR AFRICAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP games, Gold Medalist will be gifted the sum of N1.5million each, Silver Medalist were promised N1milliion each, Bronze Medalist N700,000 each, while those that did not won medal in the games were awarded N200,000 each.

The Bayelsa governor also promised gold medalists for the JUNIOR AFRICAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS N1million each, N700,000 for Silver Medalists, N500,000 for bronze and those that did not won in this category of the the games were awarded N100,000 each.

For the AFRICAN BEACH GAMES, the governor promised gold medalists N1.5million, Silver N1million, bronze N700,000 and N200,000.

Governor Diri also promised N2million cash prizes to the coaches that took part in each of games.

For that of the Tunisia Beach Wrestling, 2023 (same year), the governor promised N1million for gold medalists, N700,000 for Silver, N500,000 for Bronze, N200,000 for participants that did not win anything and the coach was promised N2million in this category.

Below are names of athletes and the cash reward promised by the governor of Bayelsa state;

1. Harrison Israel, won gold medal in Junior African Wrestling Championship, he also won Bronze in Senior African Wrestling Championship and entitled with N1.7million.

2. Tarilayefa BEKEFULA, a female wrestler from Eniwari community in Southern Ijaw, LGA, also won gold medal in Junior African Wrestling Championship and entiteld with N1million.

3. STEVEN SIMON, won silver in Junior African Wrestling Championship and entitled with N700,000.

4. EBIKEME NEWLIFE, won bronze medal in Senior African Wrestling Championship, and entitled with N700,000.

5. BIOGOS Ebi (female wrestler) won gold in Senior African Wrestling Championship N1.5million, and in Beach Wrestling, N200,000. She’s entitled to receive N1.7million.

6. MERCY GENESIS, Won gold medal in Senior African Wrestling Championship, N1.5million, won gold medal in Tunisia Beach Wrestling, N1million, won gold in African Beach Games, N1.5million. Total entitlement N4million.

7. BLESSING OGBORODUDU, won gold medal in Senior African Wrestling Championship, N1.5million, won gold medal in African Beach Games, N1.5million, Total entitlement N3million.

8. OPUENE PATIENT, won silver medal in Senior African Wrestling Championship, entitlement N1.5million.

9. SOLOMON ULABO, participated and entitled for N200,000.

10. PROGRESS BENSON also participated and he’s entitled for N600,000

11. EBIKEWENIMO WELSON also participated and he’s entitled for N200,000.

12. SEITONKUMO RICHARD also participated and he’s entitled for N200,000

13. BRAVEMAN YELLOW also participated and he’s entitled for N200,000.

14. COACH VICTOR KODEI, African Wrestling Championship N2million, Beach Wrestling N2million, African Beach Games, N2million, Total entitlement, N6million.

Some of the Bayelsa wrestlers and athletes who did not want their names published, told NAIJA LIVE TV reporters that the governor has reportedly released the sum for the athletes but alleged that the Commissioner for Sports has withheld the said sum and has refused to fulfill the promised made by the governor while welcoming the champions back to the state in government house.

“Up till now, our own brother who happens to be the commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Daniel Baraladei Igali has deliberately refused to pay the athletes since last year and the governor has given him the money,” he said.

Ikechukwu Hi-Kay Stephen, a physically challenged athlete from Rivers state who represented Bayelsa in the just concluded Para-Games and won gold medal for Bayelsa State, according to investigations, had also not being paid his entitlements after governor Douye Diri rewarded all disable athletes that represented the State and won.

The young family man with children is also pleading with the government to pay his entitlements.

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