BAYELSA ATHLETES TO EKO’ 2012 RECEIVE CASH AWARDS AS GOV DICKSON APPOINTS SIASIA AS ADMINISTRATOR OF FOOTBALL ACADEMY

28/03/2013
BAYELSA ATHLETES TO EKO’ 2012 RECEIVE CASH AWARDS AS GOV DICKSON APPOINTS SIASIA AS ADMINISTRATOR OF FOOTBALL ACADEMY 

Governor Seriake Dickson has doled out N500, 000 each to Bayelsa athletes who won Gold Medals at the last year’s National Sports Festival, Eko 2012 in Lagos. Also rewarded were Silver Medalists, who got a cash awards of N300, 000 each, while bronze medalists were rewarded with N200,000 each.

. Announcing the cash awards at a formal reception and Award ceremony organized in honour of Team Bayelsa at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Yenagoa, Governor Dickson also awarded N550, 000 each as cash prize for Coaches and organising Secretaries whose athletes won gold medal, N350, 000 each for the Coaches and Secretaries who handled Silver Medalists while N250,000 each was announced for Bronze. 

The Captain of Team Bayelsa, David Adeyemo, a Weightlifter who won 2 gold and I silver medal, was promoted from Grade Level 08 to Grade Level 10. Governor Dickson, who described the athletes as the true winners of the festival, hailed them for their outstanding performance in spite of the circumstances arising from the flood, which affected their preparations. He said government was in the process of establishing a Football Academy in the state and announced the appointment of Samson Siasia, a former handler of the Super Eagles as the administrator of the proposed academy. 

Hon. Dickson expressed Government’s desire to groom budding talents especially in the area of combative sports and export them within and outside the country and possibly ensure the Bayelsa athletes make up half of the team that would represent Nigeria in the next Olympic Games. To this end, he directed the Ministry of Sports to forward a memorandum, capturing the areas where Bayelsa has comparative advantage to him, with a view to sponsoring them for intensive training.

The Governor also charged the Ministry of Sports to scout and bring back to the state, all athletes of Bayelsa origin who are competing for other states. Speaking, the Commissioner of Sports Development, Chief Mitema Obordor, expressed gratitude to Governor Dickson for his continued support to the development of sporting activities. Chief Obordor said in spite of the flood that hampered the preparations of the athletes, Bayelsa emerged 5Th on the overall medals’ table, pointing out that, the facilities at the Samson Siasia Sports Stadium were being upgraded.

 Director of Sports, Chief Isaac Mark-Scent, thanked government for the honour done officials and athletes of the state, noting that the gesture would go a long way in boosting their morale. Responding, Captain of Team Bayelsa, David Adeyemo, expressed appreciation to the Governor for the largesse and the investment being made in the area of sports promotion. 

Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State