Next Niger Delta Games will feature more sports — Organisers

By Idahosa Moses

The Managing Consultant of Dunamis Icon Limited, the lead consultant and organiser of the annual Niger Delta Games, Sir. Malik Itiako Ikpokpo has revealed that they are considering increasing the number of sports in the tournament to 21 during the next edition.

He stressed that the organisers are not interested in who wins but in talent discovery and development.

Ikpokpo disclosed this while addressing the Press on Tuesday at the Media Centre of Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

He noted that the decision to increase the number depends on their popularity in the region.

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The second Niger Delta Games are currently underway in Benin, the Edo State capital, with 16 sports featured.

He said, “Our plan is to give an opportunity to athletes of all sports to be part of the Games. You will notice that this year, we removed canoeing because the equipment is not in any of the participating states, but in Lagos and Abuja.

“We then brought in Taekwondo. So, we will definitely consider increasing the number of sports, but we will also consider how popular that sport is in the Niger Delta region.”

Speaking further, Ikpokpo stated that one of the lasting legacies he wants to put in place is to make sure that athletes are comfortable, which necessitated the use of Benson Idahosa University as the Games village.

“The idea of the Niger Delta Games is not to win at all costs but to discover hidden talents in the region. We also want to leave a lasting legacy that things can be done right and that athletes’ welfare should not be toyed with.

“It was in view of this that we are using Benson Idahosa University as our Games village. The beauty of this decision is that all the athletes and coaches are camped in one place, which brings about good bonding,” he noted

Ikpokpo also highlighted the importance of going back to school sports and charged the various state governments in the oil-rich Niger Delta region to provide adequate funding for coaches to enable them engage in a serious grassroots talent hunt.

He added that more should be done in the area of facilities and motivation of sports administrators.

Ikpokpo expressed happiness with the seamless organisation of the Games and advised participating states to monitor the development of athletes discovered in their states to enable them rise to the pinnacle of their careers.

“The decision to reduce the participating age is already yielding results. One of the girls who won a gold medal this year is 13 years old.

“She participated last year and came last, but participating with her peers this year, she now won gold, which is a good development for the Games.

He commended sports Journalists for their support, urging them not to relent in their reportage of the tournament as he described the media professionals as partners in progress.