Determined to maintain its first position at the National Sports Festival billed to start May 16 2025, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Delta State is pulling all the strings to keep the athletes who made it possible for them to dominate in the 2022 games.
To this, the Delta State Sports Commission has been accused of arm twisting athletes who want to represent other states, particularly Rivers State, that is bent on establishing its dominance of the National Sports Festival.
Some of the foreign-based athletes who spoke to mainlandmetronews.com, said they have been told not to expect the governor Sherif Oborevworie recently released largesse covering the medals they won in the 2022 NSF hosted by Delta State during the tenure of governor Iifeanyi Okowa. Gold medalists were promised N1.5m, silver N1m, and bronze N500,000.
Other athletes have been made to sign a bond that they wouldn’t appear for any other state that wants them to wear their colours at the Gateway Games.
Confronted with the accusations Delta State Sports Commission executive chairman Onos Oborevworie explained that it was not the present government of Sherrif Oborevworie that made promises of medal rewards to the athletes and that the athletes didn’t sign any agreement that they would be paid any such amount for medals won.
“The governor in his magnanimity willingly volunteered to release the funds for the payment of the medal promise, and we are paying batch by batch,” Mr. Onos Oborevworie.
“Payment of the athletes is in progress, and whoever is concerned would have to be present in Delta for them to be paid their money.”
He added that Delta is prepared to maintain its vice grip on Nigerian sports at the Gateway Games. “We have many athletes coming to represent Delta from abroad, and we will do our best to ensure that they get what is due to them when they represent us.”
One of the coaches affected by the development, Gabriel Opuana said Delta is deliberately trying to block athletes, particularly those from the USA, from representing other states.
“As I am talking to you, even me I have not been paid my entitlements from Delta 2022. The Delta Sports Commission has our submitted bank details.
“Must we be present in Asaba before they do the needful. This is just a ploy to prevent athletes who want to represent other states from doing so.
“This is unsportsman behavior and arm twisting of athletes. They have done their bits by winning the medals, the governor has been kind enough to release funds, and the athletes should be paid. Do they have to come from the USA because of N1m. Their bank accounts are there.
“They shouldn’t forget that they are paying for services rendered over two years ago.”
