The initiator of the Niger Delta Sports Festival and Chairman of Dumanis Icon, Sir Itiako Malik Ikpokpo says the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games 2024, is a massive improvement from the last edition of the event in Delta State.
Ikpokpo gave the thumbs up at the MKO Sports Complex, Kuto, Abeokuta after moving around the various events.
He had some pleasant words for the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko and the Director-General, Bukola Olopade who have been burning candle from both ends in order to make the Gateway Games successful.
“First of all, I think that we must say the way it is. It’s a huge, big improvement from what we have always had. And I think it’s also because of the personalities involved.
“I think that basically, it boils down to the two personalities involved in managing the commission, Shehu Dikko and my friend Olopade. And you can see the excitement; you can see the joy.
“The idea is that for every festival, there must be improvement. If there’s no improvement, then there’s no legacy to be left. It’s sporty, it’s exciting. It took them more than two years to really get this thing done after the last festival.
“And I think they have planned well, whether it’s six months, whether it’s two years, whether it’s ten years. And we’re here and we’re all enjoying ourselves. From the Niger Delta Sports Festival, we have some athletes coming here competing too.”
He gave kudos to the facilities at MKO Sports Complex, and he urged other the state governments to give adequate attention to sports.
“I think it’s for state governments to realize that they cannot continue to take sports as a social service. Sport is serious business.
“Sport is part of our value chain Sports is part of our life. And so we can’t just put it there. I mean, I can tell there are a lot of states that take sports seriously. Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, you know, we have state makers. So we have states that take sports seriously. And I think that should be a general phenomenon around the country that sports development is taken seriously and not treated as just a social service and one of those ministries.”
On the ban clamp on some athletes over drug related issues, Ikpokpo, a two-term Chairman of Isoko South Local Government Council in Delta State, and also a Deputy National President of ALGON, added, “The most important thing is that the National Sports Commission deemed it fit, investigated and banned them again. That’s what’s important. So the Sports Commission has the presence of mind to be able to continue to do what is right.”
Officials and athletes
The man who is eyeing the office of the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria said, “Officials should be fair. Athletes should compete with all their hearts. And make sure they do their state proud and Nigeria proud.”
Extrasportnigeria 
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