He promised that the 2nd NDG scheduled to take place in Benin, the Edo State capital, will be an improvement on all fronts than the last edition.

Coaches and Technical Officials of the Niger Delta Games would benefit from a training programme planned to improve their efficiency ahead of the 2026 Games.

Itiako Ikpokpo (KSM), Managing Director of Dunamis Icon Limited, the Managing Consultant for the Niger Delta Games, announced this over the weekend.

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Responding to a question on how the games organisers plan to sustain the discovery of talents in the years ahead, Mr Ikpokpo lamented the poor remuneration of coaches and wondered how their employers expect them to travel to communities to identify new talents.

"We are working with partners, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and specifically for this event only, the Nigeria Local Content Development and Management Board to organise a workshop in January for Coaches and Technical Officials."

He urged governments in the States and at the federal level to fund sports the same way they are funding road and hospital projects.

"For us to make any impact in sports, the government must invest in sports infrastructure. It is good to build roads and hospitals, and it is also important that we invest in sports infrastructure." Mr Ikpokpo challenged the governments.

Continuing the challenge of infrastructure deficit, Mr Ikpokpo, chairman of the Delta State Athletics Association, lamented that schools in Nigeria are often built without provisions for sports grounds.

"The schools are the cradle of sports development, yet we have people building schools with no sports facilities."

He promised that the 2nd NDG, scheduled to take place in Benin, the capital of Edo State, will be an improvement on all fronts from the last edition.