By Amos Okioma
Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, on Thursday splashed over N150 million cash awards to the state’s contingent to the 19th National Sports Festival in Abuja, from December 6 to 16, 2018.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as having made the pronouncement, when he received the contingent in
Government House, Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa Contingent emerged fifth in the tournament with 32 gold, 56 silver and 49 bronze medals.
Governor Dickson described the performance of Team Bayelsa as remarkable and expressed appreciation to contingent for making the state proud.
He pointed out that the cash gifts were to underscore and appreciate the athletes for their contributions, sacrifice, determination, hardwork as well as to motivate them to do better in future festivals.
The governor announced cash awards of N1 million each for the 32 gold medalists; N500,000 each for the 56 silver medalists; N300,000 each for the 50 bronze medalists and N150,000 each for those who failed to win any medal.
Others are N500,000 each for 70 coaches; N500,000 each for 20 organizing secretaries, N300,000 for the 25 support staff while members of the Local Organising Committee got N500,000 each.
His words: “Today is a very happy day and these are very interesting times to be a Bayelsan because with what you have achieved, in very difficult circumstances, all of us in this state are very proud of your achievement.
“On behalf of the good people of this state, I want to congratulate and appreciate all of you including the victorious athletes, those who did not win, the coaches, support staff, secretaries and also the Commissioner for Sports Development, Mr. Perekiye Buruboyefe, for leading the team.
“Bayelsa is a state of champions, a state of good people, where good things start from. This is to encourage you all and to further demonstrate that we appreciate greatness and excellence. This cash gift is not intended to pay for what you have done. No amount of money can be enough for your sacrifice and commitment and for the glory you have brought to our state but to underscore our appreciation.”
In his remarks, Commissioner for Sports Development, Mr. Perekiye Buruboyefe, who expressed appreciation to Governor Dickson for his support and encouragement, stressed that the state finished fifth on the overall medals table due to the dogged determination of the athletes to make Bayelsa proud, having participated in twenty-six out of the twenty-eight sporting events.
Buruboyefe also pointed out that a Bayelsan, Kelly Ebi-Caleb, won the first Gold medal of this year’s National Sports Festival after winning the Men’s 200m Cycling event while six-year-old Deborah Quickpen from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state became the youngest medalist of the festival, winning a Bronze medal in Chess.
