By Amaechi Agbo
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has said Bayelsa State can comfortably host the 2028 National Sports Festival (NSF).
The NSC Director-General, Mr. Bukola Olapade, stated this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa, with a delegation that included Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and former President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Chief Solomon Ogba, former Nigerian long jump record holder and Olympian, Yusuf Alli, Director, National Sports Festival, Mrs. Oparah Thecla, and Sports Medicine Consultant, Dr. Oyudo Paul.
Olopade said the team was in the state to inspect facilities before announcing the 2028 sports festival host.
He said facilities inspected included the security infrastructure, medical facilities, wrestling gyms, table tennis halls as well as the ongoing construction of an ultramodern stadium.
According to the NSC DG, from what the team saw, he was confident that Bayelsa will get the nod to host the festival.
He described the state as very peaceful, hospitable and a sleeping giant with great potential in the sports sector.
His words: “Bayelsa State presented an amazing bid for the 2028 sports festival. I was happy to kmow that there is an intentional desire by Bayelsa to host the sports festival. Bayelsa is a sleeping giant in sports.
“Yenagoa is beautiful and peaceful. This is an amazingly peaceful and beautiful state and it tells me that these are people ready to welcome visitors.
“The facilities on ground are amazing. Bayelsa is even ready to host the event today more than the next host.”
In his remarks, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, said yhe state had come of age to host the festival given the huge investment of his administration in sports.
He noted that what hindered Bayelsa in the past from hosting the NSF were sporting facilities, which he said was being addressed with the construction of a 25,000-capacity stadium, which can be expanded to 35,000.
The Bayelsa helmsman assured that funds would not delay completion of the stadium as 30 per cent of the construction cost had been paid to the contractor, who had equally promised to deliver within the stipulated date of 2027.
Governor Diri also stated that his administration had invested heavily in security having procured Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras that monitor the state 24 hours and ensured that crime was reasonably reduced.
He expressed the optimism that given its antecedents in sports, Bayelsa would be announced as host of the festival.
He said: “Today is historic in the sporting history of Bayelsa State. We have been participating in national sports festivals.
“As a former Commissioner for Sports, I am happy that we have made a bid that is acceptable to the NSC. Our state is peaceful and we are a very hospitable people. We love visitors. Under my government, we have commissioners and Special Advisers that are not Bayelsans.
“We are very prepared to host the National Sports Festival. The only issue we had was facility but we are addressing it. The stadium is 25,000 capacity and is expandable to 35,000. We have paid the contractor 30 per cent and he is working day and night, and has given us assurance.
“In Bayelsa, we are more intrested in grassroots sports development. We have the Governor’s Prosperity Cup, which is already producing football stars. We also have wrestling competitions and now one of the best table tennis facilities in the country.
“We are not a small state in terms of sports. We are prepared to compete with any state as there is an abundance of talents here. Part of our own Assured Prosperity Agenda is to engage youths through sports.
“The issue of crime is one that we have tackled very well. We have invested so much in security and the results are obvious.”
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