…Igali praises Diri, Deputy Governor for Support
Bayelsa State has declared its ambition to win the National Sports Festival in Enugu, expressing confidence in its preparations despite lingering uncertainties over the host state’s readiness and an unusual build-up to the competition.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali, made this known in an exclusive interview with FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG, highlighting the state’s depth across multiple sporting disciplines as a major advantage in its quest for the title.
Igali, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist who has helped establish Bayelsa among Nigeria’s leading sporting states over the last three editions of the Festival, acknowledged that preparations for the 2026 edition have been unusual, with critical administrative processes taking place much later than expected.
He explained “Well, I would say Bayelsa State is relatively well prepared, considering the unusual circumstances surrounding this edition of the National Sports Festival. “Ordinarily, processes such as athlete registration and other similar things are done like two months before the festival. But this time, many of these activities are taking place right about now, barely a month before the festival,” ..
“And even the readiness of the host state Enugu is yet to be fully ascertained, although facility inspections I think just took place a couple of days ago. Also the number of sports has been significantly reduced. So this is a different kind of sports festival.”
The former wrestler noted that the uncertainties surrounding the build-up had affected preparations across participating states, although Bayelsa had anticipated some of the challenges.
Igali explained “Naturally, because of the uncertainties that has affected the normal preparatory process, most states may not be having it easy. But I must tell you that Bayelsa has anticipated some of these things and we’ve been getting our people, our teams, and our athletes prepared,” .
The President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation also commended Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for his commitment to sports development, noting that the progress recorded by the state would not have been possible without the government’s consistent support.
He also praised the Deputy Governor, Senator Dr. Peter Akpe, who oversees sports in the state, for his contributions to the team’s preparations.
“And I must particularly thank His Excellency Senator Douye Diri, the Governor of Bayelsa State, for his consistent commitment to sports development, and also for providing the resources necessary for our preparations.
“You know the Deputy Governor is in charge of sports in Bayelsa, His Excellency Senator Dr. Peter Akpe, who has been extremely supportive of our preparations.
“And when we’re talking about our preparations, we’re talking about everybody: permanent secretary, director of sports, the leadership of the Sports Council and the Ministry of Sports, coaches, the technical personnel, and everybody has been working tirelessly to ensure that we surmount some of these challenges and give Bayelsa a good opportunity to give a good account of itself in Enugu,” he said.
With three consecutive editions placing the state among Nigeria’s leading sporting contingents, Igali said Bayelsa’s next objective is to rise to the top of the standings.
“Of course, our ambition is to compete against the very best sporting states in Nigeria and hopefully to emerge champions of the National Sports Festival.
“You know over the last three editions we have firmly placed our sports as one of the top three states in terms of sports. The one position we have yet to achieve is first position, and naturally that remains our ultimate ambition.
“However, we’re not taking anything for granted. We recognize that other states are equally ambitious and have invested considerably in their sporting programs.
“His Excellency, the Governor, Senator Diri, a former Commissioner of Sports, understands the demands of sporting excellence. So he has consistently challenged us to improve on our previous performances, and importantly has also backed those expectations with the requisite funding and support.
“So in that respect we’re good. We have no reason to complain about support from our Bayelsa State government. Our responsibility now is to justify that confidence through discipline, hard work, and outstanding performances.”
The commissioner emphasised that the state’s ability to win medals across a broad range of disciplines, rather than relying on one or two traditional strongholds, could prove decisive in Enugu.
According to Igali, Bayelsa has won gold medals in approximately 20 different sports across each of the last three editions of the National Sports Festival, demonstrating the breadth of its sporting development.
“One of Team Bayelsa’s strongest strengths is the remarkable depth of our sports program.
“Of course, we have traditionally been very good in sports such as wrestling, weightlifting, canoeing, swimming, amongst others. But what is particularly important and something I really think deserves emphasis is that at the National Sports Festival, over the last three editions, Bayelsa has averaged about 20 gold medals in 20 different sports.
“That is to say we have won gold medals in about 20 different sports, and that is a significant achievement. It tells you that Bayelsa is not just a state that depends on one or two sports to succeed. We have developed the capacity to compete and win across a broad range of sporting disciplines.
“For me that is one of the clearest indications of the progress we have made in sports development over the years.”
Igali explained that Bayelsa’s approach to the Enugu competition would involve consolidating its traditional strengths while pursuing medal opportunities in other disciplines.
“Our focus in Enugu will therefore be to consolidate our traditional strengths while continuing to maximize medal opportunities across other sports and other fields.
“You know we want every athlete representing Bayelsa State to understand that their contribution matters, whether they are competing in a sport where they have traditionally dominated, or one which we are still developing.
“I must also acknowledge the collective efforts behind these achievements: our coaches, athletes, directors of sports, our permanent secretary, the entire technical and administrative team have worked tremendously hard.
He stressed “In Bayelsa, we’re fortunate to have Governor Diri, who takes a genuine interest in our progress, and the governor has consistently provided the leadership, encouragement, and resources to make our ambitions possible,” .
Despite the challenges surrounding preparations and the competition expected from other states, the commissioner maintained that Bayelsa would approach the Festival with confidence and determination.
“So in a nutshell, we’re going to Enugu with humility, confidence, and a determination to improve on our previous performances.
He concluded “We respect every competing state, but we are certainly not going there just to participate. We’re going there to compete for the title and make Bayelsa proud,” .
