Countdown to Niger Delta Games: States Enter Final Preparations
States across the Niger Delta are entering the final lap of preparations for the 2nd Niger Delta Games, with athletes set to move into camp ahead of their journey to Benin for the competition.
From Port Harcourt to Yenagoa, Calabar, Akure, Owerri, Umuahia, Asaba and Benin, athletes and coaches have been working tirelessly with their sights firmly set on medals.
In Uyo, the athletics trials will take place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Monday, where more than 100 athletes are expected to compete for places in the state contingent.
The programme will feature morning and afternoon sessions, with events ranging from sprints and relays to middle-distance races and field competitions.
The morning session begins at 9 a.m. with the women’s 5,000m final and men’s shot-put final, followed by heats and finals in the 100m, 400m, 1,500m, hurdles, jumps and throws, running through to 1:15 p.m.
The afternoon session starts at 3 p.m. and will include finals in javelin, discus, long jump, 200m, 800m, high jump and the men’s 5,000m, which will close the day’s programme at 6 p.m.
Elsewhere in Uyo, kokowa trials are scheduled for the Township Stadium at 11 a.m., while swimming will take place at UltraFit Nigeria Limited in Ewet Housing Estate, due to ongoing maintenance at the Olympic-size pool.
The trials have already drawn impressive crowds, with fans turning out in large numbers to cheer the athletes, and even more spectators are expected in the coming days.
The Niger Delta Games, sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission and organized by Dunamis-Icon Limited, will be staged in Edo State from February 20 to 27, with all nine states of the region participating.
