The government hosted the inaugural edition of the Bayelsa State Sports Festival as a part of the government’s mandate to promote the sporting initiatives of the State. The “Prosperity Access Bank Unity Games” event ended on March 31, 2023 at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Ovom. The sports festival of the State featured several occasions, such as relay races, marathons, swimming contests, long jump and high jump, among several other sporting competitions and events.
As the governor of the Bayelsa said, Sports Festival will again cement the unity among the various Local Government Areas in the State and for us as the only homogeneous Ijaw State.
The Prosperity Government of the state hosted the closing ceremony for the inaugural session of the sporting event at 4:00 PM. During the closing ceremony, the male football team of the Brass Local Government Area will clash with section of Ekeremor LGA for the football final.
Additionally, this evening in athletics, the 4 by 100 Metres Relays for Men and Women will form part of events for the closing formalities. The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Daniel Igali and the Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Braveman Wodi, are inviting Bayelsans to the stadium to witness the celebration of excellence.
At the time of the event’s launch, the governor of Bayelsa Douye Diri asserted that the festival would produce emerging talents in different sports. He also urged the athletes to compete fairly and in line with the guidelines. The state authorities featured 1,000 athletes in 14 additional games throughout the event.
Additionally, The State shared several glimpses of the event on their social media users. The social media posts featured several videos of sporting events that featured in the five day Bayelsa State Sports Festival. The state is considered one of the frontrunners of sports in the country. Accordingly, the authorities believe that the event will foster the sporting talents in the state which in turn will help them represent the state at the interstate and national levels.