The Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that Delta State School Sports Festival will remain an avenue to discover budding talents for national and international sports meet.
The event took place at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State on Wednesday.
Governor Okowa who spoke at the grand finale of the state’s first school sports festival stated that talented sports men and women discovered at the festival would be nurtured by the state government.
Nosiere Primary School 1, Agbor emerged overall winner in the festival by beating Destiny Primary School, Ughelli 1- 0 to lift the trophy of the Headmaster’s Cup which climaxed the Sports fiesta.
Students of different secondary schools in the state and pupils of primary schools also competed for medals in different athletics competition – different categories of races, discuss, long jump, short put, high jump, javelin, scrabble, chess, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, handball, basketball, among others.
“It is well known that Delta State is a sports-loving state and its athletes did very well in feeding the teams of Mid-West and later Bendel State before Edo and Delta states were created from Bendel State; what we are doing this afternoon is to replicate what we were doing in the past, in the days of old Bendel and we are excited to witness and participate in this sports festival,” the governor said.
He added, “we are aware that three editions of the Principal’s Cup have been held; today, we are witnessing the finals of the Headmaster’s Cup because, our desire is to catch them young, nurture them to be professionals at the national and international stages.
“I am grateful to the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education and members of the organising committee for this wonderful school sports festival; it is the maiden edition and I am confident that in the next four years that I will be the Governor of Delta State that it will be an annual event and I hope my successor will continue to encourage the festival which is a fertile ground to catch budding talents,” he added.
The governor commended the head teachers and principals of the participating schools, observing that the athletes put up a great show of good sports men and women at the event.
He also used the occasion to call on other state governors to encourage school sports festivals as it would make the youths to be physically and mentally fit.
Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie, thanked Governor Okowa for encouraging sporting events in the secondary and primary schools in the state, observing that such had given a great boost to the spirit of competitiveness among youths and also, kept the students and pupils busy always as they engage in both physical and mental training.
