Ahead of their inauguration on Tuesday, the Abia and Imo States’ Liaison Committees for the Niger Delta Games (NDG) had started functioning.
This is as Delta State organised a working session with the 17 sports that would be competed for at the second edition of the games in Benin, the Edo State capital, from 20 to 27 February, next year.
The theme of the inauguration of the committees in the state is that the coaches should ensure that the process of selecting talents for the games followed the rules and regulations of the games.
At the working session, the Secretary of the Delta State Liaison Committee, Harrison Ocholor met with the coaches and charged them to ensure that only the best athletes were selected to represent the state from fair and competitive trials.
He told the coaches that the oorganisers of the games, Dunamis Icon Limited and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have left no stone unturned in ensuring the process of selecting talents for the games followed the rules and regulations.
He enjoined them to study and make effective use of the games’ technical booklet, which was issued to each coach during the meeting.
In Abia State, the Co-Chairman of the Main Organising Committee. Sir Itiako Ikpokpo inaugurated the State Liaison Committee and charged them to implement all schedules of the games from athletes registration to local government and state trials.
Represented by the Project Director, Fred Edoreh at the Aba Sports Club in Aba, venue of the inauguration, the Dunamis Icon Limited boss emphasised the importance of abiding by the regulations of the games and warned: ‘Age cheat and failure to present the required number of athletes for each sport will lead to disqualification of any offending state’.
The Abia State Commissioner of Sports, Hon Ananaba Nwaobilor, assured the organisers and sponsors of the NDG that the state is in total agreement with the objectives, rules and regulations of the games, and would go the extra mile to maintain, promote and defend them in all processes of the competition.
He described the games as having added impetus to the state government’s drive under Governor Alex Otti, to use sports as an instrument to emancipate talented youths in the state.
Nwaobilor, who was represented by the State Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George, said: ‘Abia State is an ardent believer in the objectives, rules and regulations of the Niger Delta Games. Our aim is to provide access to sports in all communities of Abia State, to discover and groom young talents and empower them unto successful careers in sports. And we thank the sponsors, the NDDC, and the Project Consultants, led by Sir Malik Ikpokpo, for initiating the Niger Delta Games’.
The Abia State Liaison Committee is chaired by Nwaobilor, with Hon. Onyebuchi Chukwu as Secretary; the Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George; and state interim Chairman of the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria, Kingsley Kanu, as members.
In Owerri, where the Imo State Liaison Committee was inaugurated at the office of the state Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, Ikpokpo, who is also the Atanaru of Irri Kingdom, also harped on the age limit for athletes and charged members of the committee to ensure massive mobilisation and timely registration of athletes on the games’ official portal, stressing that only duly registered athletes would be cleared to participate.
Ikpokpo was again represented by Edoreh.
Onyeocha commended the NDDC and Dunamis Icon Limited for initiating and sustaining the games for two consecutive years, describing the championship as a credible platform for talent discovery and development in the region.
He noted that the NDG aligns perfectly with the sports development vision of the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma, assuring that the state is fully prepared to participate and comply with all rules and regulations guiding the competition.
Onyeocha said: ‘It is the mandate of His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, for us to go to the grassroots to discover talents, and these Games have come to help us achieve exactly that.
‘On behalf of the committee, I assure you that we will insist on quality, thoroughness, discipline and total compliance’.
Hon. Willie Okolieogwo serves the committee as secretary. Other members include the Director of Sports, Lady Justina Akpulo, and Kennedy Onwunali.
