Delta holds 6^th Sports Festival

By Owho Warri

The 6th Delta State Sports festival has been scheduled to hold from May 8-12, 2017 in four venues in the state. Venues are Asaba, Agbor, Obiaruku and Ozoro.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the games shall take place on the 8th and 12th respectively at the newly commissioned Ozoro Polytechnic Ultra-Modern Sports Stadium.

The festival which will be declared open by His Excellency Sen. (Dr.) Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, is expected to attract other dignitaries and sports enthusiasts from within and outside the state including the Hon. Minister of Sports, Comrade (Barr.) Solomon Dalung, who will be Special Guest of Honour.

In all, 24 sports shall feature at the festival, they are Athletics, Para- Athletics and Football which shall take place at Ozoro. While athletes in Swimming and Cycling shall be competing for honours at Obiaruku and Agbor respectively. Other Sports to feature in the Festival shall take place at Asaba. They are Boxing, Chess, Badminton, Judo, Kungfu, Karate, Golf, Gymnastics, Scrabble, Trado-Ayo, Table Tennis, Squash, Para-Table Tennis, and Wrestling. Others are Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Para-P/Lifting, Tennis and Para-Tennis.

Each of the 25 Local Governments in the State is expected to conduct a mini sports meet to select, prepare and present athletes that will represent the Local Government Area in this Festival. A minimum of (50) fifty athletes are expected to represent each Local Government.

The State Programmed and Non-Programmed athletes shall be given the opportunity to compete for honours at the festival which will also be used for trials and selection of athletes that will represent the state in future zonal, national and international sports competitions.

The Local Governments which shall emerge first, second and third positions shall win cash prizes and trophies while the winning athletes shall receive medals and opportunity to be absorbed into the sports programme of the state.