By Francis Ajuonuma
Chairman of Dumanis Icon and promoter of the Nigeria Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), Sir Itiako Malik Ikpokpo has described the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games 2024, a huge improvement from the previous editions.
Sir Ikpokpo, who gave the verdict after observing some of the competitions at the emodelled MKO Sports Complex and other venues, gave kudos to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko and Director-General, Bukola Olopade for making it possible.
” 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, the two personalities involved in managing the commission, Shehu Dikko and my friend Bukola Olopade And you can see the razzmatazz, you can see the excitement, you can see the joy. We are in a swimming venue. You can see how all of us are gathered to watch and cheer up swimmers. So I think there’s a lot of… 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. Niger Delta Sports Festival, we have some athletes coming here competing too.
While impressed with the state of Infrastructure at MKO Sports Complex, he challenged the state governments to take the funding of sports seriously.
“I think it’s for state governments to realize that they cannot continue to take sports as a social service. Sports is serious business. Sports should be like every other ministry. Ministry of Works, Ministry of Health.
“Sports 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, River, 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.
We are still the second day into the festival. The MOC will go back, look at where they made some mistakes, correct them. We are doing the same thing at our level.
But let us enjoy it first. And before we start talking about mistakes,
On what he think can be done to make the Sports festival better
“It brings me to the point I raised just a few minutes ago. I think I want us to enjoy the festival. Let us finish it’s full course. When I came into the arena, I already noticed an area where we didn’t do too well in Niger Delta. And I’ve already comprehended it.
“I’m the only one that knows where it is. Let us enjoy this festival. There will be time for us to look at areas of improvement.
On his message to the officials and athletes he declared: Officials should be fair. Athletes should compete with all their hearts. And make sure they do their state proud and Nigeria proud.
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.
On his expectations in the track and field events, he said: Competition, competition, competition. New winners. Records broken. I look forward to young athletes, the older ones doing well.But the younger ones competing and making sure they break records. That’s what athletics is all about.
“Anybody that’s not excited is what we call a witch.
