Gov Diri Rewards Bayelsa Athletes After National Sports Festival Exploits

• Plans to host 2028 Festival

By Amaechi Agbo

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has rewarded Bayelsa athletes that made the state proud in the 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Team Bayelsa finished third according to the official medals table declared by the National Sports Commission, maintaining its podium finish.

Receiving the contingent inside the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Diri noted that sport has become a window of opportunities and empowerment for the youths in the state.

Governor Diri, who was at the closing ceremony of the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, said he was shocked by the twist in the medals table due to the gap between the host state, Ogun and Bayelsa, hours to the closing ceremony, stating that before he left Abeokuta, he had already noticed some unconventional practices that were ongoing.

According to the state helmsman, team Bayelsa did not finish third but second on the medals table, maintaining that apart from perennial champions, Delta that Bayelsa’s threat was Delta and not host, Ogun State.

“On behalf of your government of prosperity and the people of Bayelsa, I congratulate all our athletes and all our officials for making us proud at the Gateway Games at Abeokuta, Ogun State. I do not believe that you took third, I believe that you finished second at the Games”, the governor stressed.

He hinted that the state is committed to hosting the 2028 National Sports Festival in Bayelsa with the construction of the 25,000-capacity stadium currently ongoing at Igbogene in Yenagoa, the state capital, urging the various ministries involved in the construction to ensure that the stadium is completed at the stipulated time.

Senator Diri announced a cash reward of one million naira (N1,000,000.00) to each gold medalists, team gold medal athletes would smile to the bank with seven hundred thousand naira (N700,000), silver medalists five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) while team silver medalists will get three hundred and fifty thousand each (N350,000).

He explained that bronze medalists would smile home with three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) each while team bronze medalists would receive two hundred thousand naira (N200,000).

Officials of gold medal athletes will equally receive One Million naira each (#1,000,000.000), gold medal technical official will also smile home with Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N700,000) each.

Governor Diri further explained that silver medal team officials would go home with five hundred thousand naira (N500,000), silver medal technical officials will receive four hundred thousand naira (N400,000) each, bronze medal team officials will get two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) each, officials of the Ministry of Sports Development and the Sports Council will receive N1.5 million naira.

He equally promised to reward Local Organizing Committee members with (N1,000,000), festival secretariat officials (N700,000) each, essential staff, three hundred thousand naira (#300,000), support staff will go home with (N200,000) each, urging the commissioner for finance to immediately release the monies to the athletes.

Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr. Daniel Igali in his remark, said the state’s medals stand at the Gateway Games was not a true reflection of Team Bayelsa’s performance at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta.

Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi in an interview, appreciated the governor for the huge investment in the development of sports in the state, pointing out that the gesture by the state’s helmsman is a testament of his passion for sports.