September 21, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State contingent to the 7th National Youth Games in Asaba Delta State, arrived at the state capital on Wednesday, ahead of the games slated from 20th to 30th of September.
Team Bayelsa State, led by the Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi, arrived in Asaba with four hundred and fifty-six (456) contingents, which include athletes and officials.
The team will compete in 33 out of 35 sports Athletics, Football, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Chess, Badminton, Handball, Cycling, Table Tennis, Swimming, Basketball, Scrabble, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
The young lads will be hoping to repeat the heroics of team Bayelsa in last year’s National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta, where Bayelsa finished first surpassing the record set in Benin City Edo State in 2021.
Bayelsa State in the zonal elimination in Calabar Cross Rivers State last made a clear statement of intent qualifying in all the team sports they participated in.
In the meantime, the Delta State Government has assured the various participating States in the National Youth Games a hitch-free event when the event commences.
The Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Chief Tonobok Okowa, gave the assurance at a world press conference to usher in the fiesta, promising an excellent and smooth organisation in the games, stating that the athletes are going to witness an unprecedented sporting experience like never before.
Okowa who doubles as president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and Confederation of African Athletics Zone 3, noted that this year’s edition of the games will see spectators occupy the stands unlike what it has previously been, where spectator stands are usually empty, saying that Deltans are expected to fill the stands to cheer the athletes.
The seasoned sports administrator explained that over 23 venues are fully ready except for minor finishing touches, while equipment for the Gymnastic Centre has arrived and would be installed in a matter of days.
All 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory entered the games with over 4,500 participants and have started arriving in Asaba ahead of the opening ceremony on September 23, 2023.
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