Athletes praise ‘wonderful Delta facilities’ as Sports Festival begins

In the next 12 days, the attention of sports-loving Nigerians will focus on Delta State, the venue of the 21st National Sports Festival.

Already, Lagos, Niger, Imo, Gombe, Katsina, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) contingents have arrived in Asaba, signalling their readiness to fight for medals at the fiesta.

The flag hoisting ceremony for Delta 2022 National Sports Festival will hold at 4.00 p.m. today ahead of the opening ceremony slated for Stephen Keshi Stadium.

Majority of athletes, who arrived in Asaba, yesterday, were thrilled by the quality of facilities provided by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the Games.

One major area that caught the attention of the athletes and their officials was the new tartan track installed at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

In 2018, when Delta State hosted the African Senior Athletics Championship, athletes from across the continent said the tartan track hampered their performance.

To host the best-ever National Sports Festival, Governor Okowa, who is the vice presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, ordered that a new tartan track be installed for Nigerian athletes to showcase their talents.

The tartan track in Asaba Stadium is the first of its kind in Africa. Other facilities built for Delta 2022 Games are two brand new indoor sports halls, a new swimming pool, and a new shooting range, all within the Stephen Keshi Stadium, as well as a new hockey pitch built in nearby Okpanam.

Delta won the bid to host the fiesta, which is Nigeria’s version of the Olympics Games, at the end of the last edition held in Benin City, Edo State, last year.

Governor Okowa has also constructed new hostel facilities at the NYSC camp in Issele-Uku and in various