Bayelsa Defeat Delta, Edo, Others To Win Niger Delta Sports Festival
Team Bayelsa fought off stiff competition from Delta and Edo to win the first edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival on Tuesday.
Bayelsan athletes kept their best performances for the last day of the festival with a stunning showing in Uyo to make history.
They ended the festival with 42 gold, 29 silver, and 15 bronze medals, totalling 86 medals.
Over 3,000 athletes participated in the festival that was sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), featuring a total of 17 sports.
Despite finishing with the highest medals in the festival, Delta State came second with 41 gold, 26 silver, and 32 bronze medals. Edo State finished third with 23 gold, 63 silver, and 31 bronze.
Rivers State finished fourth with 63 medals, including 21 gold.
Ondo State claimed fifth place with 43 medals, followed by the host state, Akwa Ibom, in sixth place with 37 medals, while
Abia and Imo States ended in seventh and eighth place with 32 and 42 medals, respectively
Imo placed eighth with 42 medals but fewer golds. while Cross River State came ninth with 31 medals.
Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno urged the states to nurture the athletes discovered at the festival.
The governor was represented by the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Dr Uwemediimo Udo.
He said, “Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has sent his best wishes to organisers, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and all the participants.
“He said I should inform you that nobody is a loser as far as this competition is concerned.
“He has also asked not just to discover these talents, but he is interested in nurturing these talents to ensure they achieve their utmost as far as their areas of specialty are concerned.”
Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Boma Iyaye, praised the event for fostering unity and youth engagement.
He said, “This festival has provided an opportunity for bonding among youths of our region, memories that they will carry all their lives. We are happy at NDDC to have made this platform available.
“The MOC announced its intention to propose that the festival become a biennial event, returning every two years.
“We’ve received overwhelming commendation from across Nigeria. Based on this, we will recommend to the NDDC Board that the festival should be held every two years.”
Bayelsa Defeat Delta, Edo, Others To Win Niger Delta Sports Festival is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
