Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa led the nine others in organising trials for local government and federal constituencies on the first day of the trials for the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), which commenced on Tuesday, 11 March.
In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State declared that it is aiming to put forward its best young athletes in a fair and competitive environment.
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It was a trailblazing of sorts in Eket, where Akwa Ibom held the first day of trials with athletes featuring in canoeing, weightlifting, wrestling, basketball, and athletics.
The Commissioner for Sports Development and Chairman of the Bayelsa State Liaison Committee, Daniel Igali, who also serves on the Main Organising Committee (MOC), met with the Bayelsa State Working Committee in his office on Wednesday.
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The meeting was to strategise towards achieving the expected goals for the festival that holds in Uyo from April 1-8.
Mr Igali emphasised the importance of maintaining the integrity of the competition by ensuring that all participating athletes meet the age requirement of 25 years and below.
He reiterated that while winning is important, the primary focus should be fair play, development, and showcasing young talent.
Mr Igali met at the Ministry’s Conference Hall, with the coaches and association secretaries.
The discussions centred on establishing a structured and practical framework for conducting trials at both the Local Government Area (LGA) and Senatorial District levels.
In Eket, Hon. Commissioner for Sports Paul Bassey was seen at different competition grounds supervising the trials with budding talents from the Eket Senatorial District competing for one of 316 coveted spots to represent the state at the inaugural event.
From the pitch to the tracks, mat, sand, river, pool, and courts, young athletes gave their all, showcasing their skills in various sports, including football, track and field, weightlifting, traditional wrestling, swimming, basketball, boxing, tennis, handball, canoeing, and volleyball.
The organisation of the trials was top-notch, conforming to the standards set by the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the festival.
The technical lead of the Akwa Ibom State Liaison Committee, Catherine Ekuta Ewa, expressed her excitement about the talents on display, saying, “If we can harness the talents we have seen here, Akwa Ibom will have a very bright future in sports.” She also thanked the organisers for creating an avenue for young athletes to be screened and aspire to compete at a higher level.
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The trials, which were held in various locations across the Eket Senatorial District, including Eket town, Ibeno LGA, and Oron, saw a high level of competition, with many young athletes displaying exceptional skills and energy.
Nine states, including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta, are among the competing states.
The rest are Edo, Imo, Cross River, Ondo and Rivers. The festival is sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a sports intervention project to mark its 25th anniversary and also help to harness talents in the region.
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