By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – EDO state is set to host not less than 3000 athletes and officials from the nine oil producing states in the Second Niger Delta Games being hosted by Edo State.

Speaking at an interactive session with the Edo State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Chairman of Dunamis Icons Limited, organisers of the game, Hon. Itiako Ikpokpo said the event would feature 17 sports including football, athletics, taekwondo and others including a cultural night.

He said the event would hold from 20th to 27th February this year and that it is being sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Ikpokpo lamented that age cheat was a major challenge hampering sports development in Nigeria and insisted that participating athletes must not exceed 20 years of age, must be indigenes of the participating States adding that the organisers has put up strategies to check age cheat.

Honourable Ikpokpo, while noting that the grassroots is at local government level, advised that efforts should be made to take talent hunt to that level to discover more sports talents for the country.

He said “We must go back to Schools Sports to discover more young talents for the country. There is need to elevate conversation on sports in the country. The reason why sports has not become money spinner is because of the manner sports is being managed by administrators.”

He said it was shameful that across the country, cheating is allowed to go on in sports, urging all hands to be on deck to stop the trend.