Tag: Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF)

A new approach to grassroots sports development will see athletes discovered at the on-going Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) undergo periodical camping where scientific methods of training would be applied.

Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, the Co-Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the festival, dropped the hint at a media parley with Journalists covering the games, saying over 60 athletes have already been spotted as at Day 4 of the  fiesta in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

“This festival is not about who came first or who won gold. Our Scouts are looking out for hints of potential, quality that can be groomed for future success,” Ikpokpo noted on the objectives of the festival.

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He said the scouts made up of coaches, former athletes and Scouts have so far submitted 64 names and most of them were not those that came first or second.

“We seek to set up camps for the identified athletes with a view to putting them through scientific research based training supervised by certified Coaches”, added Ikpokpo who is the lead Consultant for the project. “The real work is not this festival, it is to design and implement the plan to nurture the talents discovered here to go on and replace those who have been representing Nigeria.”

Sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as part of its mandate to improve living conditions of people of the nine mandate states, the NDSF had about 3000 athletes and 500 officials. It began on April 1 and will end on April 8 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

National  U-19 Volleyball Coach, Rakiya Mohammed, believes the on-going Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) in Uyo  would be  a big  avenue to scout  for potential future stars.

With the opening ceremony activities capturing all attention on Tuesday, contest for medals at the NDSF  has effectively commenced in handball  football  and volleyball.

Rakiya is a member of  the Scouting and Mentorship committee that has the responsibility of discovery and nurturing of the next generation athletes from the region and for Nigeria.

She said: “I’m so delighted with what the organisers of NDSF have put together to help discover talents who will take over from the ageing ones. What I find fascinating is that this event is an age grade one, which means that we, the coaches have been provided a unique opportunity to see young players up close.

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“I expect the best selection of under -age athletes, because grassroots events like this are the best place to identify future stars. I expect the coaches of the participating teams to come with young players who can easily be mentored and groomed for the future, having identified those with exceptional qualities. The end result is to make their parents and Nigeria proud.”

Aside identifying potentials during the NDSF and engaging the young athletes on the right path as mentees, Rakiya said she is also on ground in Uyo to select good players for the U-19 National team.

She has been the coach of the National Volleyball Coach since 2014 but had started with the U-17 team which she led to the African Youth Games, Botswana.

She was promoted to the U-18 team as an assistant coach and later moved to the U-21 team. She is presently the head coach of the U-19 team.

The Maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival began on Tuesday with youths from the Niger Delta region competing in 17 events which includes volleyball.

Delta State Government has made a commitment to continue the development of sports at the grassroots by improving sporting infrastructure and creating opportunities for young talents to attain excellence.

Oborevwori made this pledge in a speech delivered on his behalf at the opening ceremony of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) at the Uyo Township Stadium on Wednesday.

Represented by Senator Emmanuel Aguarivwodo, the governor described sports as always being “a powerful tool for social cohesion, personal attainment and national pride.”

He added: “Around the world, nations invest in sports not just for entertainment but as a means to engage the youths, foster discipline and promote healthy lifestyles.

“Here in the Niger Delta, where our people are known for resilience, energy, and determination, sports serves as a unifying force, breaking barriers and opening doors to greater opportunities.”

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Oborevwori revealed that contract has been awarded for the reconstruction of the Warri City Stadium in line with his government’s pursuit of providing the enabling environment for young ones to find expression for their talent.

“We remain committed to developing grassroots sports, improving sports infrastructure and supporting young athletes in their pursuit of excellence,” he added.

The governor also commended the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC) for adding sports development to their intervention projects saying: “I extend my gratitude to the NDDC for organising this remarkable event, which is more than just a competition. It is celebration of our shared heritage, our unity and the boundless potential of our young people.”

He  urged the participants to give their best while embracing the spirit of fair play. “Compete to win, but above all, compete to grow,” the Delta State Governor urged the athletes.

To the NDDC and the organisers, Dunamis Icon, he said: “I commend your dedication and vision.”

• Phyno, Eben headline musical show

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to flag off today IN Uyo, Akwa Ibom State,  the much anticipated Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The festival will be concluded on April 8 with about 3000 athletes and over 500 officials competing in 17 sports.

In the last one week, the festival torch went on a tour of the nine states, commencing from Bayelsa State and expected to be lit in a cauldron at the Uyo Township Stadium at the opening ceremony.

The usually dour and rustic Uyo Township has undergone a makeover that turned the city centre sports ground to a kaleidoscope of bright colours, patterns and sports symbols. As would be said in local parlance ‘Niger Delta Development Commission hand has touched it’.

It’s a day to the D-day and finishing touches to decorative structures and rigging of the performance stage and live television broadcast Risers are going on in frantic efforts.

While security presence has become more pronounced, locals still found their ways into the ‘construction’ site with hawkers loading their goods while some traders set up stands displaying sporting apparel and footwear.

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“This is looking like a carnival, and we are lucky to have the event in our state,” Etuk James, a budding football player shared in a hearty chat with a friend who dragged him for a photograph against the backdrop of a boarded tunnel with the images of former internationals, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, Nwankwo Kanu and Seun Ogunkoya. “Our stadium is now looking like those places abroad that we see on television”,

The opening ceremony will feature 40 music and Comedy talents from the Niger Delta region and supported by Cultural dancers from the NDDC states.

Foremost entertainment impresario, Edi Lawani who is also the Chairman of the Culture and Entertainment Sub-committee said: “We are bringing high energy sound systems with a full complement of exotic show lighting display and large format screen projection”.

Itiako Ikpokpo, Lead Consultant at Dunamis Icon, organisers of the festival, said the event promises to provide a classy evening of music, dance and culture.

 “We have lined up international Afrobeat star, Phyno to lead the night that will also have Eben on stage,” he said.

Accreditation of athletes, coaches officials and media for the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) commenced  yesterday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo with applause for  organisers.

To ensure a seamless process, the organisers set up points to attend to each state, media and members of the Local Organising Committee and Main Organising Committee as well as invited guests.

Akintunde Akinsemola, one of the leaders of the Ondo State delegation that arrived Sunday night expressed satisfaction with the process and commended the organisers for ensuring that there were no unnecessary delays in getting identified and attended to.

“The process was orderly as tents were provided for us with seats and those responsible for the issuance of the tags were well prepared, picking up names from their system and briskly attended to registered persons,” Akinsemola stated.

Harry Iwuala, the Chairman of the NDSF Media Sub-committee,  explained that a lot of planning was made to ensure that every category of participants had a pleasant experience.

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Iwuala said: “The Organising Committee is peopled with experienced sports administrators, media practitioners and former international athletes who have over the years attended global sports events. So, they brought their experience to bear on the process.

“Just as plans have been made to ensure that athletes and officials would not be distracted by any forms of discomfort in the course of participating, we made sure that accreditation which is the first point of contact with the games on arrival is hitch-free.”

Most of the state contingents are expected today , April 1st and their accreditation will be completed on their appearance at the centre.

Media accreditation begins

Organisers of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) have announced an exciting lineup of prestigious awards, aimed at recognizing and rewarding exceptional talents, teams, and contributors to the games.

As part of its partnership with Foniso, a leading social sports platform, the NDSF organisers will introduce the following awards:

*Most Digitally Active Team Award: Honouring the team that maximizes their digital presence and engagement throughout the games.

*MVP from each State: Recognizing the most valuable player from each participating state, highlighting their outstanding performance and sportsmanship.

*NDSF Content Creators Award: Celebrating the creative and innovative content creators who capture the spirit of the games through their work.

 *Best Sports Journalist Award: Acknowledging the outstanding contributions of sports journalists who provide exceptional coverage of the games.

According to Sir Malik Ikpokpo, Chairman of Dumanis Icon and promoter of the NDSF, “These awards will not only recognize exceptional talents but also provide a platform for athletes, teams, and contributors to gain global recognition and opportunities.”

The NDSF, scheduled to take place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from April 1st to 8th, 2025, promises to be an exciting showcase of Nigerian sports talents. With the introduction of these prestigious awards, the games are set to elevate the standards of sports excellence and provide a launching pad for future sports stars.

Meanwhile, Media organisations interested in the coverage of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) have been invited to apply for accreditation.

Harry Iwuala, the Chairman of the Media Sub-committee of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) said access to the festival would be restricted to only accredited media organisations.

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He disclosed that the accreditation process will commence from 24th March and end on 31st March.

“Media Organisations wishing to apply are to do so through the NDSF website: https://nigerdeltasportfestival.com/.

“All that is required is to apply through the official website of the festival with name of the Journalist and Media Organisation. Photographers and Camera operators are required to indicate their work category”, Iwuala announced in a statement.

He also said media organisations are free to apply for multiple representatives but not more than one for each of the 17 events listed for the festival.

The NDSF is a project funded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to harness talents of youths in the nine mandate states. The festival holds from April 1 to 8 in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

About 3,000 athletes and 500 Coaches are expected to take part in the festival.