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The Federal Government has commended the contributions of the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, to the development of sports in Nigeria.
The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, gave the award on Saturday during the final of the sixth edition of the Bayelsa Governorship Football Tournament, dubbed the Prosperity Cup, held at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa.
Senator Enoh who witnessed the final games between NDU Queens and Peremo Academy in the women’s category as well as the men’s category between Ogboinbiri of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and Nembe City of Nembe Local Government Area, noted that since he became a minister, Governor Diri had been a recurring decimal in the sports sector of Nigeria.
The Sports Minister said Governor Diri has continued to encourage and sponsor the growth of football and other sports not only in Bayelsa but has also been very supportive of the Nigerian Super Eagles.
He said the Prosperity Cup motto, “Bringing sports development to the grassroots,” resonates with the Federal Ministry of Sports Development’s determination to bring back its zonal offices across the country, emphasizing that the future of sports lies at the grassroots.
He said: “Since I became Minister of Sports, I have found a governor who has been a fixture in the sports sector of Nigeria and that is the Governor of Bayelsa State.
“Wherever I have gone, this governor keeps showing up. He keeps providing support, encouragement and sponsorship, particularly when Nigeria competed in the African Cup of Nations. He is a governor who made a commitment to the team and delivered immediately.
“The Nigerian Wrestling Federation has the Bayelsa Sports Commissioner Daniel Igali as its president. This governor has done more for that federation than any other person. I am supposed to leave for Germany tomorrow to be with our Olympic team, but I said I had to be here and I am glad I came.”
Senator Enoh said that with more than 200 teams registered for the tournament, the Prosperity Cup was a model that other states should copy.
He said his ministry, in partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), could institute a similar grassroots national competition with Diri as its ally.
He also thanked the governor for the tremendous support to the wrestling federation as Nigeria prepares for the 2024 Olympics and expressed optimism that the support would translate into medals for the country.
Speaking during the Minister’s courtesy visit to Government House, Governor Diri described football as a profitable sport if young talents are well groomed to become stars.
He noted that football stars earn more than a state’s allowance in the country, which he said was the idea behind the Governor’s Cup.
He said his administration will continue to encourage and develop talented male and female athletes in the state and expose them to the world.
Diri urged youngsters to focus on achieving their dreams, following the example of players like Daniel Igali.
He expressed satisfaction that the community competition had lived up to expectations, especially seeing a grassroots team from the Ogboinbiri community emerge as champions, and commended the organisers for making judicious use of the approved funds.
He said: “Since this competition started three months ago, the youth have been busy. Security agencies have also told me that the petty crimes we experience have decreased because the youth are involved.
“This competition is not just an urban competition, but also a community competition. One can imagine a team from Ogboinbiri, from the Southern Ijaw, defeating the urban teams from Yenagoa. So I am very happy with the organizers of this competition. Mr. Ono Akpe and his group have done very well.”
Among the dignitaries who attended the closing ceremonies were the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, represented by his Commissioner for Sports, Mr. Yusuf Ali, who commended the Bayelsa government for the football tournament and for giving sports a place of honour not only in the state but at the national level.
He expressed hope that the Governor’s Cup will outlive his administration for the benefit of the country.
Furthermore, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau particularly praised the organisers for introducing the women’s version and said the federation had started training female coaches to acquire the CAF “C” licence.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Trust Bank, one of the key sponsors of the tournament, Mr. Emmanuel Emiefenim, commended the state government for its commitment to sports development, noting that as strategic partners, they thought it would be prudent to identify themselves with the competition.
Mr Emiefenim said one way to empower youth was to positively engage them, especially through sport, noting that his bank was the official sponsor of the Nigerian Athletics Federation at the Paris Olympics.
He also revealed that the bank will donate a Coaster bus to Bayelsa United and brand the team’s jerseys as part of its sponsorship support to the team.
In his welcome address, Sports Commissioner Daniel Igali thanked the Governor for his continued support of sports.
The Director General of the Prosperity Cup, Mr. Ono Akpe, while commending Governor Diri’s commitment to the development of grassroots sport, said the central and local organising committees would work to make the tournament better and more exciting in the next edition.
Ogboinbiri, who defeated Nembe City 3-0, received a cash prize of N5 million, while the winners of the women’s category, NDU Queens, who beat Peremor Academy by a single goal, received N1 million as prize money.
The total prize money for the tournament was 15 million naira.
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