Delta State Sports Commission is leaving nothing to chance in its bid to retain the top spot at the National Sports Festival which kicks-off next month in Kaduna State. The festival earlier slated for 2008 was posponed to February 2009, owing to the inability of Kaduna State government to put facilities in place for the bi-annual event.

As Kaduna State finally puts the issue of hosting the National Sports Festival to rest, Delta State the winner of the last edition says it has commenced camping for the festival. The oil-rich state which has succeeded in structuring a programme that has seen it not only performed well but emerged winners on several occasions at the games, has again taken the bull by the horn and it's promising to win 65 percent of gold medals at the games.

"We have masterminded a plan to see us win the games. We are focused on finishing first and the only way to achieve that will be to prepare very well for the event. Before its postponement, we were in camp and our athletes were already in top shape.

"They were dispersed after the event was postponed and now that a date has been fixed, we are heading back to camp and I can assure you that we have what it takes to win the festival again," Honourable Gabriel Okpunor, a member of the Delta State Sports Commission said.