Kehinde Osagiede
The Permanent Secretary,Edo state Sports Commission Mrs Sabina Chikere has restated that the Commission under the leadership of Olympian Yusuf Alli will continue to encourage grassroots sports development,through deliberate commitment of resources towards harnessing of discovered talents and development for the benefit of the athletes and country as a whole.
The Permanent Secretary made the commitment while speaking with journalists shortly before team Edo’s departure in Asaba,the host city of the 2022 National Sports Festival tagged ‘Delta 2022 Games’.
Mrs Chikere noted that the only way to appreciate and make the essence of the National Sports Festival not defeated is to invest in grassroots sports activities geared towards developing talents that the nation is endowed with.
” I thank God for enabling us to participate in the 2022 National Sports Festival that ended yesterday. I want to restate that we in Edo will continue to harness and develop our own. We don’t buy athletes but produce and we will continue to direct more of our resource to catching them young and developing same. We do not encourage poaching.
I appreciate the efforts of our athletes,their level of discipline and hard work. Against all odds,they were able to secure third position for Edo.
“Let me also thank our Governor Mr Godwin Obaseki and his deputy Comrade Philip Shaibu for their commitment to sports development in Edo. ”
The Permanent Secretary Mrs. Sabina Chikere thanked the athletes for representing the state well despite their inability to retain the second position they got in the previous edition.
She however assured that proper preparations shall be in place for 2024 Games in Ogun and that the state will continue to put necessary machinery in place for the development of the athletes who they believe can do the state and country proud in the nearest future.
On the discrepancy and wide gab in medal haul between overall winners and the rest participants of the just concluded Sports Festival, Mrs Chikere advised that all stakeholders in the sports industry,particularly the Federal Ministry to look into such a situation whereby thirty six states participated in the games and few win virtually all the Gold medals while some who travelled long distances can not go home with a single Gold medal. She described the just concluded Delta 2022 as alarming. “I feel something is wrong somewhere that some states did not win any gold medal. Does it mean that they didn’t prepare for it or is it that it is made impossible for them to win something? She pointed out,adding that the area of officiating be closely monitored and purged.
Meanwhile,Edo state contingent to the 21st National Sports Festival in Asaba,Sunday afternoon returned safely to Benin after their brilliant outing at the Delta 2022 Games.
The team,led by the Permanent Secretary,Federation of the Edo Sports Commission Mrs Sabina Chikere arrived at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin at about 3:30 PM.
Team Edo with about 537 athletes, participated in the just concluded National Sports Festival and emerged third overall best out of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory that participated.
Edo finished third with 78 gold, 94 silver and 167 bronze behind Team Bayelsa and the overall winners,Team Delta who have won the title for a record seven times.
