The Senator Douye Diri-led Administration has re-echoed its determination to use sports as a veritable means to attract greater fortunes and glory to Bayelsa State.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence stated this on Monday when he received the chairman and members of the 2022 Governor’s Cup Organizing Committee along with a team of scouts from Europe, during a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo said the present administration believed that with sports the state could make revenue and write the name of Bayelsa in gold in the annals of sports development in the world.
The Deputy Governor maintained that government was also desirous to use sports in empowering youths of the state, build their self-confidence and dissuade them from social vices.
He pointed out that Bayelsa was succeeding in every ramification of sports by dint of commitment, hard work and divine blessings.
The Deputy Governor recounted the victories recorded by the Basketball teams from Saint Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata and the Bishop Dimieari Grammar School (BDGS), Ovom-Yenagoa last week at the Nestle Millo National Secondary Schools Basketball Championship held at Onikan, Lagos.
His words, “We want to use sports for money and for positive development of our youths. We believe that with sports, we can write the name of Bayelsa in gold in the history of sports in the world.
“Sports is so important to us. Only last week, the Sports Commissioner, and that of Education, came back with trophies from the Nestle Milo National Secondary Schools Basketball Competition, in both male and female categories, won by the Bishop Dimieari Grammar School (BDGS), and Saint Jude’s Girls Secondary School.
“So, any collaboration from anybody or group that will help us improve on what we are doing, would be embraced. We want you to stay and remain in Bayelsa because what you are going to get in Bayelsa, you won’t get it elsewhere.”
Senator Ewhrudjakpo thanked the Chairman and the members of the Organizing Committee for their relentless efforts in midwifing the Governor’s Cup competition, and assured the foreign football scouts that government was prepared to collaborate with them to achieve the purpose of their visit to the state.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General of the State Governor’s Cup Tournament, Mr. Ono Akpe, disclosed that the head of the Russian delegation had brought a group of top European sports scouts that run one of the largest sports academies in Europe.
He thanked the State Government for its support all the way, stressing that at the end of their stay in Bayelsa, identified talents would be taken to Europe under a special scholarship for their sports career development.
Speaking on behalf of the Scouting Officials, Mr Nikita Poliakov, commended the state government and the organizers for the initiative and pledged commitment to assisting identified budding talents grow into football stars in the near future.
The team was made up of a renowned FIFA Agent, Mr Ojo Omamomo, Mr Dmitrii Churkin of FDC VISTA, a national coach, , Mr Kennedy Boboye and former international footballer, Mr Joseph Eyimofe.
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