Okagbare dedicates jackpot to Uduaghan, Tombiri weeps for Bayelsa

[MrVan]

By Onochie Anibeze

Delta State did not only excel in the just concluded All Nigeria Athletics Championships in Calabar they also made a mark that was highly commended by most of the US based former athletes who were guests at the Olympic trials.

Delta had athletes in

the finals of most of the events. Sometimes they had up to five athletes in the finals of events. And they emerged overall winners with 12 gold medals against eight won by the Civil Defence Corps.

Star athlete of the championships, Blessing Okagbore who won the N2m jackpot has dedicated her victory to Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who has remained the pillar of the athletes especially the Olympic bound ones. Few months ago, Uduaghan released grants to top Delta athletes to prepare for the Olympics. Delta State alone will produce more than fifty percent of the Nigerian track and field contingent to the Olympics. Blessing ran 11.12 seconds to win 100m and jumped 6.97 to win the Long Jump. She has three Olympic A Standard performances in the two events and also in 200m. Gloria Asumnu is another emerging star running for Delta.

"This is the result of the investment our governor has made in sports. It is paying off now and we are grateful to him," Amaju Pinnick, chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission said after celebrating with their men's 4×100 relay team which won the gold.

But as Deltans celebrated their sports excellence, it was gnashing of teeth for Mary Tombiri, a one time great national athlete now based in the United States. She was among the former heroes and heroines who graced the events in Calabar.

She lamented the back stage Bayelsa, her own state, was taking in sports and almost wept in the public.

"Where is Bayelsa?," she kept on asking each time athletes were being called for their events and it was always Delta, Delta and Delta with few a mention of NSCDC, Cross River and Prisons.

"Oh! My God, where is Bayelsa?," Mary continued. "It's a shame, a big one that they are not developing sports in my state. This is crazy.

This is not acceptable. I'm ashamed of what they are doing in sports. They can do better and must begin to do something to develop our youth through sports. There are a lot of benefits. Athletes earn money; athletes win academic scholarships; athletes are great ambassadors.

Where is Bayelsa in all these? No no no . . .," Mary continued to lament. She left Calabar a sad woman and said she would take this up with Bayelsa authorities.

Vanguard Nigeria