… As Gov Diri explains reason for sports show

Over 1.200 athletes are jostling for honours at the maiden Bayelsa State Sports Festival that began on Sunday in Yenagoa, the state capital which was flagged off by the Governor, Senator Douye Diri.

The Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Daniel Igali, in his welcome address, while appreciating the state government and headline sponsor, Access Bank for the foresight in hosting the inaugural Prosperity Games said the festival will feature more than 1,200 athletes in 14 events jostling for 293 gold, 293 silver and 387 bronze medals, adding that a total of 240 team officials, 140 technical officials and 194 officiating officials are also participating.

He said the games provide a veritable platform to discover untapped talents in the state.

Highpoint of the event was a colourful march-past by athletes from the eight local government areas of the state as well as the lighting of the games torch by renowned athletes from the state, which included Olympic silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu, another Olympian, wrestler Victor Kodei and Binaebi Numa, a member of the Golden Eaglets to the 1985 Kodak/FIFA U-16 World Championship in China.

Meanwhile, the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said the promotion of unity among people of the state was paramount to his administration.

Governor Diri said this among others was the underlying factor behind the first Bayelsa State Sports Festival, which commenced on Sunday in conjunction with Access Bank.

Related News

Diri said his government realised that sports was the best medicine for the mind and body hence it is investing much resources in the sector.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that the best way to be prosperous was in one’s health, stressing that sports was not only a competitive event but also medicinal.

He also stated that his administration, known as the Prosperity Government, decided to domesticate the National Sports Festival to meaningful engage youths of the state and encourage initiatives that empower and create jobs as launch pad for national development.

Diri expressed optimism that as the only homogeneous Ijaw-speaking state, the festival would cement the cord of unity among the eight local government areas participating in the games.

In a goodwill message, Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, who was represented by the bank’s Relationship Manager, Mr. Kakiri Miebi-Flint, said the bank was pleased to collaborate with the state government to actualise its prosperity mantra.

Dr. Wigwe noted that the state has had tremendous achievements in the sporting sector in the last three years, noting that the bank was working towards building a prosperous Bayelsa through sports partnership.