By Hananeel Jackson
Director of sports, Bayelsa Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi says four hundred and forty athletes will represent the State in the forthcoming National Sports Festival slated for Benin City, Edo State from the 6th to 16th of this month.
Sir wodi gave the hint during an interactive session with newsmen in his office in Yenagoa ahead of the much-anticipated showpiece which has suffered several postponements.
He said the collective desire of the state-contingent was to surpass the previous records set in the National Sports Festival, pointing out that the athletes in camp are in high spirit and that team Bayelsa would achieve credible results.
He further explained that thirty-three associations would take part in the rescheduled Edo 2020 Fiesta especially where the state has a comparative advantage such as Wrestling, Swimming, and combatant sports.
He stressed that since he assumed office as the Director of Sports, the swimming pool at the Samson Siasia Stadium has been given a facelift.
With Bayelsa finishing fifth in the 2018 edition in Abuja with thirty-three gold medals, forty-nine bronze medal, and fifty-six silver, Sir Wodi believe that getting a top-three finish in the overall medals table in Benin City was of utmost priority.
According to him, the Bayelsa State government initially approved sixty-three million, nine hundred and eighteen thousand to execute the festival, noting that the council had taken delivery of equipment needed for the fiesta.
He debunked rumors making the rounds that the kits of team Bayelsa carried the tag Team Nigeria at the back.
Sir Wodi also stated that the process of recruiting more wrestlers in the state was ongoing, having hosted the Baraza Wrestling Championship which produced younger wrestlers.
He added that Bayelsa State would host a national scrabble event immediately after the National Sports Festival, stressing that the idea was to discover new talents in all sports.
