BY TONY UBANI
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday declared the 17th National Sports Festival open amidst pump and pageantry. The opening ceremony was a spectacle, with tremendous display of various traditions and cultures of Nigeria. It had a touch of class, somehow justifying the hiring of foreign hands who made it grand.

President Jonathan pledged that the state that wins the games will get a prize of N20 million, N15 million for the second placed state and N10 million for the third place winner.

Garden City Games .... The stage of the opening ceremony for the 17th National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt yesterday. Photo: Henry Unini

The President who was at the stadium in company of the Senate President, Senator David Mark, a representative of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tmbuwa, chief host, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and representatives of numerous other state governors acknowledged the talent in the  Nigerian youth whom he said was naturally endowed  and needed to be liberated from anxiety and cynicism. He said that  sports was one of the means to gainfully engage them to self realisation.

“It is a great responsibility for the youths of this country to raise the bar and for us to create the enabling environment for them to excel,”he said.

Fireworks followed after his speech. Performers took the stage and the spectacle fully commenced.