By Uzor Odigbo
Bayelsa state director of Sports, Sir Braveman Wodi has stated that sports in the state have served the purpose of pushing Youths off the streets and helping former, retired sports icons to stay alive.
Wodi stressed that sports Beyelsa authority in the state play a mutually beneficial role where the youths are taken care of as well as keeping the old alive.
“It is all about welfare of our heroes and heroins. That’s why lots of monitory rewards are attached and given instantly to AthIetes that won their events here in Asaba.”
According to him, every effort is geared towards making the state’s sports men and women prosper in whatever they do which also include National Youth Games in which the state is currently doing well so far.
He added that it is also not a do or die thing for his team to finish tops of the medal table of the ongoing Youth Games in Asaba, Delta state.
Speaking with Journalists in Asaba on Friday, Wodi insisted that second place on the medals table at the end of the day would not be a disappointment, adding that the goal is not just to win but to discover new talents.
“I can’t be disappointed with a second place finish despite the consistent investment in sports by the Bayelsa state government.
“First and foremost, it is not a win at all cost rather it is to discover talents and nurture them to international stardom.
“We have two objectives in participating at the games, first is to discover talents and secondly once you are in competition you strive to do well which is all part of holistic development of the kids.
“Besides we have 27 states and FCT participating in the competition, so if we finish second, third or fourth that will be a huge, huge results, because we are talking about Bayelsa, the much touted smallest or youngest state in Nigeria with only eight local government and finish among the first four then we should raise our shoulder and nod our heads like the agama lizard who fall from the top and nodded it’s head in recognition of the feat.”
Team Bayelsa State came to Asaba with four 456 contingents which include athletes and officials.