Mr Ayiba Duba, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy in Bayelsa, has hailed Team Bayelsa’s feat at the just-concluded National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Bayelsa contingent came third with 169 medals, comprising 56 gold, 55 silver and 58 bronze.
In a statement in Yenagoa, Duba commended the athletes for their dedication, commitment, high sense of professionalism and devotion to excellence, which yielded their record-breaking performance.
He described the team’s performance as “symbolic of what Bayelsa people can achieve when everyone does his bit of the work at individual stations with a single-minded devotion to the good of the state and its people”.
According to him, the success recorded by the athletes was made possible by the government’s commitment to investing in things that will bring honour to the state.
Duba specifically attributed the team’s success to the timely release of funds by the authorities for athletes’ preparation and participation ahead of time.
He stated: “In the effort to motivate the athletes, the state government also cleared inherited outstanding allowances and bonuses.
“It is pleasing and gratifying that the government’s investment and commitment to sports development is yielding positive results.”
He recalled that the last time the state made a strong appearance at the festival was when Gov. Douye Diri was commissioner for Youths and Sports Development.
“One can say with every degree of confidence that Bayelsa is on for a great deal of development, progress and prosperity under Diri’s administration,” Duba added.
He therefore urged the people to continue to support the administration and play their roles in the effort to sustain the state’s drive toward prosperity.