From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Foreign athletes from the West African countries of Ghana, Ivory Coast and the Benin Republic have arrived in Asaba for the 21st National Sports Festival (NSF) tagged Delta 2022.
The chairman of the publicity sub-committee of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this on Saturday while giving updates on the ongoing event.
Aniagwu who is the Commissioner for Information in Delta State said athletes were still being expected from Niger Republic and Cameroon.
Recall that the Minister of Youths and Sport, Sunday Dare, had announced that foreign athletes would participate in the 21st NSF.
Aniagwu clarified that the foreign athletes won’t be competing for the kind of medals that contingents of the various participating states are competing for.
He said they were invited to spice up the games and inspire those considered to be local athletes.
On the medals table, Aniagwu said Team Delta was leading comfortably but could not give the figures, saying that the results were still passing through scrutiny before confirmation.
“Delta remains the king, other teams are praying to come second. We wish that they compete further and harder so that our athletes can be stimulated for greater success,” he said.
Aniagwu further explained that public schools were shut for the duration of the games because some students in secondary schools were representing the state in the competition.
He said it would be academically unfair to such students if their colleagues continued to be in class while they compete to make the state proud and develop their sporting talent in the process.