The Director of Sports Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi, says he is confident the state will finish in a respectable position in the ongoing 8th National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State.
Wodi said so on Monday in an interview with journalists in Asaba.
He said that Team Bayelsa started their quest in the Games slow but believes that the athletes would finish strong at the end of the competition.
Wodi who is a very passionate scrabble stakeholder noted that Bayelsa has put in what it takes to have a podium finish, and that the latest triumph in some of the sports is a reflection of what the state intends to achieve by the end of the games. He described this year’s edition as close compared to the previous editions.
He added that no state is sure of an overall podium finish apart from host Delta who are used to their facilities, pointing out that this year’s competitiveness was as a result of the deliberate effort made by the various States Governments.
Wodi explained that with the avalanche of talents spotted in the 8th National Youth Games the nation’s sports would rise again from its current dormant state, maintaining that the development of sports starts from the grassroots.
Wodi is also very pleased with the screening committee for doing a good job, despite some irregularities to determine the true age of athletes that would participate in the Games. He noted that that physical appearance was not enough to determine the age of an athlete.
The Bayelsa Director equally advocated for the introduction of a U15 and U17 youths games, saying that there is a missing link between both cadres and there is a need to fill the link.
Team Bayelsa on Monday produced a five-star performance at the Games. Bayelsa took the silver in the team event of scrabble, with a plus 612 cumulative point from six wins. The wordsmiths of Bayelsa were closely followed by Team Ekiti with 5 wins and a plus 677 cumulative point.
The state had earlier taken silver and bronze in the boys’ singles through Eddie Pereowei and Shannon August who are products of the Governor Douye Diri National Scrabble Championship, student category.
In Dart, Felicia Idu and Favour Ketekete gave Bayelsa gold in the doubles 501, gymnastics also recorded gold just as para-athletics who won gold to increase the medal tally.
Goodluck Matthew and Andrew lost their respective finals to Cross Rivers and Taraba State in Kokowa to settle for silver, Kung-fu clinched bronze just as shooting with two bronze medals.
And in basketball Bayelsa boys won silver having lost in the final 8-5 to Cross River while the girls were defeated by Lagos 7-6 and were scheduled to battle Osun in the bronze medal on Tuesday by 9am.
Special sports
Long jump f46/47 girls:
Gold – Bayelsa
Silver – Imo
Bronze – Kwara
Team Bayelsa medal table:
Gold – 11
Silver – 13
Bronze – 12
Extrasportnigeria 
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