Niger Delta Games: “Team Bayelsa in Benin to Compete’ – Igali

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr Daniel Igali says Team Bayelsa are in Benin City, the Edo State capital to compete for nothing but the top spot at the 2nd Niger Delta Games.

Igali, who made the assertion in an interview at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, however acknowledged that the contest for the overall winners at the fiesta would be expectedly fierce and stiff.

According to Igali, “For the past three National Sport Festivals, we have been in the top three, Third and second twice though in the last edition they said we were third, we believe we were second. So we can’t be considered as also-ran. Bayelsa is among the top sporting States in the country. As for the Niger Delta Games, we won the first edition, and this second edition is different. The last one was a senior Festival for age 25 and under, now it’s 19 and under so we are talking about junior athletes”.

Continuing, he said “Whoever wins here will be winning it for the first time. The one we won, no team can win it again so we are standing on a pedestal no team can stand. But, we are here to compete and we believe that we will be one of the top teams here. Across board, we feel that we have assembled a good team, we have a good youth discovery network and there will be very vigorous competition but Bayelsa will be among the top contenders’.

Attributing the reason for the state’s success in sports in the Nigeria Delta and the country in the last few years, is due to the support of the state governor, Senator Douye Diri, Igali asserted that, “Over the past few years especially since the advent of the present Governor, Senator Douye Diri, there has been a new thrust, push and vision because being a former Commissioner for Sport himself when Bayelsa achieved its first highest position in the medals table at the National Sports Festival in 2006 at Abeokuta, he has come with a renewed vigour as funding and everything has improved. So when you now see Bayelsa contesting to be the number one sporting destination in the country, it should not surprise anyone because of the approvals of His Excellency, the Governor”.

He said Governor Diri in the twilight of his reign is building two new stadia including a 30,000-sitting capacity, brand new facility at Igbogene, Yenagoa and another 15,000 sized stadium in Sampou in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area to prepare grounds for Bayelsa to host the 2028 National Sports Festival.

Explaining that the sporting facilities being put in place and the good results the athletes are churning out would make Bayelsa to remain continuously relevant, he said the facilities would give athletes in the State the conducive environment to train and make a mark in national and global competitions.

Meanwhile, in the swimming event,
Edo State has won six gold medals in swimming, Delta has picked up two gold medals while Bayelsa, currently occupying the top spot at the Games, improved its position with one silver and one bronze in the swimming.

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