By Felix Onojaiyefe
Some Nigerian athletes have carpeted Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa, for his failure to keep to his promise of hosting the 21st National Sports festival without postponement.
The festival tagged Asaba 2022, earlier scheduled for November 2 to 15 was dealt a major blow on Friday following its postponement to December.
A statement by the Secretary to the Main Organizing committee MOC, Peter Nelson, made available to us early this morning stated that the festival will now hold from November 28 to December 10.
Nelson further stated the postponement is to enable Delta State government complete some facilities for the Sports festival.
“It is so shameful that Okowa could not live up to his promise of hosting the 21st National Sports festival without postponement,” a sprint athlete lamented in a telephone chat with Mainlandmetronews.com this morning.
Another athlete said; “A state like Delta with its huge monthly federal government financial allocation should be able to host a national sports festival without delay. This is a big shame.”
Also a national track and field star added; “Is it now a curse that the national sports festival must suffer postponement every time? Cross Rivers suppose to host it in 2014 but it couldn’t host the event for a whole five years until it was taken away in 2018. Edo State couldn’t host it in 2020 before Covid 19 came and was shifted to 2021. Now, a big state as Delta has failed to live up to its promise. What has happened to the billions of naira Okowa collects as monthly revenue from federal government? If he knew he won’t be able to host the sports festival, why bid for it? Lagos has hosted the Sports festival on four occasions, 1973, 1975, 1989 and 2012. Rivers has hosted it twice, 1988 and 2011. Bauchi has hosted it twice, 1990 and 2000. Kaduna has hosted it twice 1977 and 2009. Imo successfully hosted it in 1998 and Benue also hosted it without postponement in 1996. Edo has hosted it twice 2002 and 2021. Why can’t Delta that has won the festival eight times host it without postponement? How are we sure the December date will stand? It is a shame,” the athlete said.