Chris Awhawha
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has justified his administration’s continued investment in sports, saying it is being used as an economic and crime control tool in the state.
He stated this at the formal opening ceremony of the 3rd Douye Diri and 13th National Wrestling Classics holding at the indoor Multipurpose Hall of the Samson Siasia Sports Complex at Ovom, Yenagoa, the state capital.
The Bayelsa Chief Executive who was represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, pointed out that apart from serving as a means for people to exercise to maintain physical fitness, sports creates livelihood for youths to develop themselves professionally.
Governor Diri maintained that sports helps to dissuade youths from going into criminal activities, stressing that the probability of any good sportsman or woman going into drugs is slim.
Describing wrestling as the main traditional sports of the Ijaw people, he said the state government had consistently sponsored the tournament for several years not only to promote wrestling but also enable youths eke out a living from it.
While thanking the Nigerian Wrestling Federation (NWF) for collaborating with the Bayelsa State Government to make the event a success. Senator Diri expressed hope that the yearly classics would produce the next batch of Olympic wrestling champions for Nigeria.
His words: “Our hosting of this tournament is not by accident, or by mistake. Even in the old Rivers State, Bayelsans were the ones that made Rivers State great in wrestling. You talk about the Bideis, the Hippos, the Appahs, the Eferebos, the Kodes.
“The list of great wrestlers we have produced is endless. They were all from the area that makes up the present Bayelsa State while we were part of Rivers State.
“We are hosting this tournament as a tool for crime control and for wealth creation. It is a tool for crime control because sports and crime do not go together, just as drug and sports do not go together.
“Bayelsa believes that with what we are doing, our youths will also be economically empowered. In the last few weeks, some of youths who participated in the Governor’s Prosperity Cup are now playing with Bendel Insurance, Bayelsa United, Rivers United, and some have gone outside the country.
“We believe that with this tournament, Nigeria’s next world and Olympic champions in different weight categories in wrestling would emerge at the 2028 Olympic Games.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, said the Bayelsa Governor’s Wrestling Classics was the longest running sports competition hosted by a state government in Nigeria.
Dr. Igali, who is also the President of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation, noted that the competition was instrumental to Nigeria’s winning of over 200 gold medals in wrestling at the Continental and international levels.