Bukola Olopade, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) made an unscheduled stop at the office of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) on the eve of the official opening ceremony of the festival.
Dressed in an impressive traditional wear, Olopade was met on arrival by Itiako Ikpokpo, Co-Chairman of the MOC and lead Consultant at Dunamis Icon, organisers of the festival.
“I am very proud of what you guys have achieved here and it is a pointer of the new dawn in the nation’s sports.
“At the National Sports Festival, we will look to collaborate with you on some of the innovations that has been noted in your management of the Niger Delta Sports Festival,” declared Olopade, who served as Commissioner for Sports when Ogun State hosted the National Sports Festival.
Ikpokpo thanked the Director-General for the visit and recalled how the NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko and the DG has been very supportive of the project.
“Your visit on the eve of the official opening ceremony is a huge shot in the arm and we are indeed encouraged.
“On behalf of the team, I wish to extend through you our appreciation of the President’s acceptance to flag off the festival. We look forward to receiving Mallam Dikko who will be representing the President,” Ikpokpo told the NSC chief.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to on Wednesday, April 2nd flag off 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 3,000 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 have 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 parading their goods while some traders set up stands displaying sporting apparel and footwear.
“This is looking like a carnival, and we are lucky to have the event in our state.
“Our stadium is now looking like those places abroad that we see on television,” 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.
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.
