Delta inaugurates LGs sports festival committee
Just as the Delta State School Sports Festival was being wound down on Wednesday, the Delta State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria inaugurated the Central Organising Committee for its maiden Delta State Local Government Sports Festival.
Chairman of Delta ALGON, Sir Constantine Ikpokpo, revealed that the programme, first of kind in the country, is an effort by the local governments to contribute their quota towards the development and promotion of grassroots sports in “realisation that more needs to be done to frequently oil the talent mill to produce more athletes that can represent Delta State and Nigeria in various national and international events.”
The committee which is chaired by Prince Kelly Penawou, Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Local Government Affairs, is composed of two Local Government chairmen from each zone of the state, a selection of notable Delta State sports personalities and veteran and seasoned sportsmen and administrators, including Yusuf Ali, Seigha Porbeni and Fred Edoreh, immediate past chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria.
Prince Penawou commended the Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, for expressly endorsing the festival and agreeing to be its Chief Ambassador.
Harrison Ocholor, Managing Director of Hightime Media Management Limited, the project consultants informed that the first edition scheduled for October 2020 shall feature Athletics, boxing, football, tennis, swimming, chess and scrabble.
In order to raise the profile of the event and inspire competition among participants, the Organisers said the event shall be open to all categories and ages of athletes indigent or resident in the local government areas.
“We have no problems with top international, national or state athletes competing with junior athletes. It is all good for the event and doesn’t hamper talent discovery. It will rather inspire junior athletes to aspire to be at their best and their performance in terms of time and distance will determine if they are materials to be groomed for higher events.”
