Bayelsa To Host State-wide Sports Festival In November

Ibraheem Lateef Ayodele

In furtherance of its talent hunt policy, the Bayelsa State Government says it is preparing to host a State-wide Sports Festival that would attract the participation of athletes from all the eight Local Government Areas of the state.

Governor Douye Diri made this known on Wednesday at the 87th session of the weekly State Executive Council in Government House, Yenagoa.

Diri, who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, noted that sports remain a veritable tool with which to dissuade the youths of the state from crime, criminality and drug abuse.

Expressing his conviction that with sports, the present administration under his watch is taking the right direction in youth development, (Governor Diri) announced that efforts were underway to make the maiden Bayelsa Sports Festival in November a reference point.

He, therefore, called on all the Local

Government Councils to ensure proper preparations and mobilization of their sports teams for the festival.

The Bayelsa Chief Executive also used the opportunity to congratulate the management, coaches and players of Bayelsa United FC for gaining promotion to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) after several years in the lower division.

He equally commended the Bayelsa Queens FC who did not only win the 2021/22 Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL, but also emerged as winners of the WAFU Women Cup staged in Cote d’Ivoire.

Governor Diri disclosed that Bayelsa Queens were already through to the final of the 2022 Aiteo Cup, as he urged the team to make the state prouder as they represent Nigeria at the CAF Women Champions League in Morocco next month.

His words: "We are investing so much in sports development. We are thanking our sponsors and partners who have decided to work with us in the sponsoring of our Sports Festival.

"By November this year, we believe we are going to host the first truly all-Bayelsa Sports Festival. We enjoin our LGAs and our youths to take advantage of the opportunity and momentum that would be created to win laurels for themselves.

"We believe sport is a tool to galvanize our youths to abandon crime, criminality and drug abuse. We believe that with sports the state is taking the right direction.

"We congratulate our two teams, Bayelsa United, and Bayelsa Queens. Bayelsa United who for many years had been in the lower league has been promoted to the NPFL.

"Bayelsa Queens have not only become queens of Nigerian football but are now queens of West Africa. They have also defended their Aiteo Cup title to the final, and would be in Morocco in October for CAF Women League Championship."