Port Harcourt- Rivers says it will bid to host the 17th
National Sports Festival in 2010, Gov. Chibuike Amaechi said today.
Amaechi gave the indication when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Alfred Diette Spiff Sports Centre to watch some events at the on-going 8th State Sports Festival in Port Harcourt.
He said the state had the facilities and wascapable of hosting the rest of the country.
He said facilities at the Diette Spiff Sports Centre would be renovated for use by Rivers athletes.
The governor noted that the festival tagged, “Unity Games”, was achieving its objective as demonstrated by the enthusiasm of the youths to win medals for their local governments.
He attributed youth restiveness in the state to poverty and unemployment and gave the assurance that the government would assist in creating an enabling environment to keep the youths busy .
Amaechi later presented medals to badminton team event winners and watched ‘abula’ and boxing.
Mr. Boma Iyaye, the sports commissioner who was mandated to bid for the hosting of the next sports fiesta, commended the governor for promptly releasing funds for the games.
Iyaye said that preparations for KADA 2008 would begin immediately after the sports festival on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Degema Local Government maintained its number one position on the medal table with 14 gold, four silver and five bronze medals.
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