Sports Stakeholders In Nigeria Hails Governor Diri’s Investment in Youth and Sports Development

Key stakeholders in the sports sector in the country have commended Governor Douye Diri’s continuous passion for sports development in Bayelsa State.

Dream Football Academy beat Bayelsa Starlets 1-0 to clinch the governor Douye Diri under 18 invitational tournament after three days of exciting football in Yenagoa.

Some of the stakeholders in separate interviews with our correspondent, said the continuous engagement of the youths was the reason for the endless peace enjoyed in the State so far.

Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development Chief Daniel Igali, represented by Head of Department Human Resource Management Mr. Mike Alakere, appreciated the organizers for buying into governor Diri’s sports developmental stride describing the latest tournament as a step in the right direction.

Also, Proprietor of Crusaders Feeders F, winners of this year’s Prosperity Cup and former member CAF medical committee, Sir Dr, Peter Singabele, said the governor’s passion for youths and sports development speaks volume of the prosperity government drive towards engaging youths through sports, stating that sustained engagement of youths helps to take them off cultism, drugs abuse and other social vices.

The former NFF board member commended the governor for bankrolling the Bayelsa Governors Cup aslo known as the Prosperity Cup, which is arguably the largest grassroots football tournament in Nigeria, the Under-18 Invitational tournament as well as sponsoring the team the Remo Invitational Tournament in Ogun State and the Africa Youth Championship Cup in Cape Verde.

Some of the coaches who took part in the Invitational tournament, Kenneth Opukeme of Dream FA , Okporo Alfred of Kingdom Stars FA ,Lawrence Alabrah of Bayelsa Starlets all in Yenagoa and Onome Johnbull of Excellent Academy of Delta State lauded the vision and the foresight of the organisers of the tournament to keep Bayelsa youths busy just months after the Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football tournament.

They urged other state governors in the Niger Delta and across the country to emulate the Bayelsa State Chief Executive, saying this is the key to drug abuse, cultism and and other social vices currently plaguing the nation today.

Other stakeholders who spoke to our reporter include veteran footballer and coach Jossy Dombraye, Okaka Harrison chairman of Dynamo academica FA of  Edo State, Pere  Brownsford and Alambo Datonye chairman Bayelsa State chapter of the  Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, all rated the prosperity government high in sports development saying that the administration has given priority to sports in the State which is highly commendable.

Director General of the Bayelsa State Governor’s Football Tournament tagged the Prosperity Cup and organiser of the tournament, Ono K. Akpe has commended participating teams that took part in the Gov Douye Diri Under 18 invitational tournament.

Mr. Akpe hailed the performance and the show of dexterity of the teams describing the performance shown by the lads in the two days as astonishing, stating that he was impressed with the skills displayed by the teams.

He urged the team to maintain its resilience, commitment, and dedication, exhibited thus far in the competition, until they achieve the ultimate aim of playing on the big stage.

The DG applauded the tourney champions Dream Football Academy of Yenagoa for emerging champion of the tournament, noting that their superlative outing was an affirmation of the significant progress made by the Prosperity Cup towards discovering talents that would represent the nation in the future.

The winner of the tournament went home with Two Hundred thousand Naira (200,000,00) second place Bayelsa Starlets One Hundred and Fifty Thousand (150, 000.00) while third place Dynamo Academica of Benin, Edo State got One Hundred Thousand Naira (100,000.00) as well as Fifty Thousand Naira consolation prize for Kingdom Stars FA who finished 4th.

Mr. Akpe equally appreciated other stakeholders who came to cheer the boys particularly Sir Dr Peter Singabele, the technical adviser of Bayelsa United Diepreye Teibowei and coaches of the participating teams.

The Governor Douye Diri Under-18 tournament featured teams from Edo, Delta Anambra and Bayelsa States.