Bibowei Lambert Reaffirms Bayelsa’s Zero Tolerance for Age Cheating, Says Bayelsa Not Desperate To Win
The Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Bibowei Lambert, has reiterated the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards age cheating in grassroots sports, stressing that integrity and fairness remain central to its sports development programmes.
Bibowei made the assertion at the U.J Esuene Stadium during a rigorous screening exercise for athletes participating in the South-South zonal elimination of the maiden National Intermediate Games in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The Bayelsa Sports Director said the screening exercise was critical to ensuring that only eligible athletes participate in the competition, maintaining that age cheating remains one of the major challenges undermining the growth and development of grassroots sports in Nigeria.
According to him, stakeholders at all levels must work collectively to combat the menace and restore credibility to youth competitions, where athletes are expected to compete based on merit and within the stipulated age categories.
Lambert stressed that Bayelsa State has consistently maintained a clear position on age cheating, saying the state would not encourage or support any attempt to manipulate competition rules for the sake of winning medals, reaffirming the state’s commitment to fair play and genuine talent development.
He noted that while the state remains committed to producing outstanding performances at the Intermediate Games, it is not desperate to win at the expense of integrity, fairness, and the long-term development of its young athletes.
“The message from Bayelsa State has always been clear, there will be no manipulation of the rules,”
“Bayelsa State will continue to uphold strict standards in age-grade competitions. The screening exercise is important to protect the integrity of the National Intermediate Games and ensure that only eligible athletes compete within the stipulated age limits. We are not prepared to compromise our principles simply for medals because genuine talent development is more important than short-term success.”
“Everyone has a responsibility to help eliminate this poison and restore confidence in grassroots sports competitions.” Bibowei said.
Speaking further, Lambert maintained that competitions at the grassroots level should serve as platforms for identifying, nurturing, and exposing genuine talents who can progress to represent Nigeria at international competitions.
He particularly called on athletes, coaches, parents, officials and other stakeholders to support transparent screening processes, stressing that protecting the integrity of age-grade competitions is essential to building a credible and sustainable future for Nigerian sports.
Meanwhile, as the games begin, Bibowei expressed optimism about qualifying as many team sports for the Intermediate Games slated for 2027 first quarter in Lagos.
On the other hand, Bayelsa State contingent to the zonal elimination comprised male and female seven team sports, namely Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Football, Handball, Hockey, Volleyball, and Abula.
