*MOC to be inaugurated Friday at NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt
The maiden Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) scheduled to hold in April in Akwa Ibom State is not going to be an all-comers affairs as its organisers have pegged age limit at 25 years.
Chairman of the Project Consultant, Dunamis Icon, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, revealed at the weekend in Lagos that the idea behind limiting the age of athletes to compete for the nine states involved in the NDSF is to ensure that only young talents are projected through the festival.
Ikpokpo who is also co-chairman of the Main Organising of the NDSF, stressed that modalities have been put in place to ensure that there are no cheats during this maiden edition. "We are limiting the ages of athletes to compete in this maiden edition to between 16 and 25 years. There will be consequences for any cheat caught. We hope and pray that we achieve the purpose of instituting this festival which is to make the Niger Delta states the hub of talent discovering for Nigeria."
He also hinted that only indigenes of the nine states that include; Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Imo and Abia states are allowed to compete in the festival scheduled to hold between April 1 and 9 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom featuring 17 sports with about 3,000 athletes in attendance.
The co-chairman further stressed that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which is the sole sponsor of the festival "is not taking over the functions and responsibilities of the various states but is only supporting them to ensure that the region maintains its leadership role in Nigeria's sports ecosystem."
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Meanwhile, the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival will be inaugurated on Friday at the headquarters of the NDDC in Port Harcourt.
Ikpokpo said that inauguration of the MOC comes comes in the wake of the inauguration of the state liaison committees for the nine states expected to take part in the festival.
Ikpokpo, who conceived the idea of the sports festival, further stated that facilities scheduled to play hosts to the event have been inspected and "work will start this week on facilities where there are challenges."
"All the relevant committees have been set up after the Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has graciously accepted to play host.
"The Chairman of the Main Organising Committee is one of you, a three-time sports commissioner (in Rivers State) and currently the Executive Director, Finance/Administration of the NDDC, Alabo Boma Iyaye. I co-chair that committee that will be inaugurated on Friday (February 21, 2025).
"We have set up state liaison committees that are already functioning so as to ensure the process that will lead to the state trials. There is trials at the local government and state levels to produce competing athletes before the festival in Uyo.
"So we are getting set. Facilities have been inspected and work will start this week on facilities where there are challenges.
"We want the World to know that the NDDC is ready to take up more responsibility of producing top talents for Nigeria in the area of sports," Ikpokpo said.
Also at the media parley in Lagos with the cochairman were; Head, Special Projects, Onome Obruthe, Head of Operations, Fred Edoreh and Head, Media, Harry Iwuala.
