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By Amos Okioma, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State’s director of Sports, Chief Patimidi Turuku, has lauded the state governor, Seriake Dickson, for the grooming and development of sports talents, through the establishment of Asoama Sports Academy in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of the state.
Turuku, a renowned referee and sports enthusiast, gave the commendation on Friday in Yenagoa during an interview with newsmen.
The sports director who bared his mind on the activities of his office, said through the Asoama sport academy fresh and raw athletes and other young sporting folks are now being recruited into mainstream sports, just as he maintained that soon the sports council would be hunting for sports men and women in the nooks and crannies of the state to compliment government’s efforts, especially with what the state has achieved through the academy.
According to Turuku, though the state is blessed with abundance of sports talents, especially having comparative advantage in wrestling, the bane of it is losing wrestlers of the state’s origin to others in the country during major sporting events.
He said, “We are Bayelsans, but you see, if wrestling is traditional to us then we must be going to search for wrestlers in rural areas. It is too bad that even though the rules establishing sports councils in the nation said that as sports men and women, you can practice and be employed by any state, at national competitions we see our Bayelsa people wrestling against us. We need funds so that we can give them employment here.”
Commenting on the recent blockade mounted by athletes who participated in the 2018 national sports festival at the entrance to the state’s Government House, the director of Sports hinted that before the participants took the action he had at different instances pleaded with them not to do so.
He stressed that he has been in touch with government over the promises made to the athletes, adding that patience is the hallmark of achievers.
The director applauded the state governor for releasing part payment of the amount promised the athletes on their return from the festival.
Our correspondent reports that athletes who participated in the 2018 sports festival, Thursday took to the streets of Yenagoa blocking the entrance to the state’s Government House, demanding that the governor fulfilled the promises he made to them on their coming home from last year’s national sports festival.
