By Hananeel Jackson

Stakeholders in the sports sector in Bayelsa State say the state has achieved much compared to other states that were created at the same time with Bayelsa twenty four years ago.

The stakeholders while assessing the level of development in the sector noted that the sporting sector boomed with the establishment of sports facilities across some local government areas.

Reacting to the development, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth Sports Development Chief Patimide Tukuru said the state has achieved tremendously well in all the competitions that the state contingent took part in.

Chief Tukuru explained that the story of  Bayelsa United would not be complete without mention of  Admiral Poubeni Cup, pointing out that it was the tournament that discovered the majority of the talents in the Country.

The former Director Sports while highlighting the State’s areas of comparative advantage noted that athletes in the state have been doing well in sports festivals  and expressed the hope that the present administration in the state would bring more vigor to the  athletes. 

Also, Director of Bayelsa State sports council Sir Braveman Wodi stressed that in the last 24 years that Bayelsa state has continued to maintain it place in the National Sports Festival.

Sir  Wodi noted that with the decentralization of sports facilities in the state, there are expectations that the athletes would  do better by surpassing the previous record of other  sportsmen and women.

He opined that though the coronavirus pandemic has destroyed the economy of the country, the state athletes would  rely on government to fund sports.

Sir Braveman Wodi pointed out with the current initiative  by the commissioner for Youth and Sports Development,  Bayelsa state would be the hub of  sports in Africa.