The Delta State Government on Wednesday night, at the Government House in Asaba, unveiled the official mascot and logo of the 21st National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled to hold between November 2 and 15, 2022. The chief host, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led in attendance other top sporting personalities including the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC) President, Engineer Habu Gumel, Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Sherriff Oborevwori, former Delta State Sports Commission chairman, Chief Solomon Ogba as well as members of the State Executive Council and other top Government officials. In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chief Patrick Ukah, who doubles as the Secretary to the State Government(SSG), noted that unveiling of both the mascot and logo of Delta 2022, shows the readiness of the State towards hosting a successful event in November. Tagged ‘Uniting Nigeria, inspiring a new generation’, Ukah said Delta 2022 would go down in history as the best organised and most economically viable Games in recent history with the array of sponsors that have already aligned with the event. Sports Minister Dare eulogised Governor Okowa for his total support for sports over the years, adding that, “Nigeria is finished should Delta State be taken out of her sporting equation.” Dare said Delta has done so well for Nigerian sports over the years and hopefully the State would be ready to host the next edition of what he called ‘Nigeria’s Mini- Olympics’. Governor Okowa said Delta State is happy to bring home the sporting extravaganza it has dominated over the years. ”Of course, we want competitors but we are sure of winning even here at home. We are going to put in our best, and at the end, we would show that truly, ‘Delta no dey Carry Last’.” The official mascot is called UZO and symbolises Delta State’s physical power, strength, ferocity, focus, and willpower to continue to dominate in the world of sports.

89 athletes, coaches killed in Ukraine war

Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelensky has disclosed that the country has lost 89 athletes and coaches since Russia invaded the country early this year. Zelensky made the painful disclosure when he met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss, Thomas Bach over the weekend in Kyiv. Zelensky while calling on IOC not to allow Russia to be part of international sports further disclosed that 13 other athletes and coaches were captured and currently in captivity in Russia. insidethegames.biz quoted Zelensky as saying that Russia’s invasion has decimated sports in Ukraine In his words…”More than a hundred thousand Ukrainian athletes do not have the opportunity of training. Hundreds of sports facilities were destroyed: these are both large sports infrastructure facilities and facilities based on Ukrainian schools, universities and sports clubs.” Bach during the meeting assured the Ukrainian President that the ban on Russia and Belarus would remain. “The time has not yet come to lift such a ban,” Bach said. The IOC President also met Ukrainian athletes at their Olympic training centre and outlined further support in preparation for future events. The support fund now stands at $7.5 million (£6.2 million/€7.2 million) which Bach claimed would assist some 3,000 athletes at home or abroad. “We support them in a way to be able to see a strong, successful, proud Ukrainian national Olympic team at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina,” Bach said.

TICO boss, Kaczmarczyk confesses, says “I’ve finally found “Real Gold” in Africa”

Renown FIFA licensed agent, Tomasz Kaczmarczyk has poured encomiums on Nigerian youngsters following their impressive performance at the just concluded Samjason FC talent hunt programme at the Alade stadium, Lagos. Speaking after the six-day intensive exercise, Kaczmarczyk who stormed Nigeria with a 5-man scouting team said he was amazed at the talents abound in Nigeria. ” This is one of the best scouting programmes I have ever conducted in my scouting career ,” Kaczmarczyk who is also the CEO of TICO sportswear company worldwide admitted to Catholic Herald Sports before his departure to Poland. “Your country is endowed with talented young players with impressive football skills. The young players are highly determined and exhibited great confidence on the field of play. “I am totally overwhelmed by the quality of players we saw and I must confess that my team and I are highly impressed. These boys are fantastic players with bright future. ” They are for the

e future. When I get home, I will tell my European partners that I have finally found the “real gold” in Africa, and I can assure you that most of them are going to get foreign contracts with top European clubs as soon as possible.” Meanwhile, Poland based ex-Nigeria international, Martins Ekwueme has congratulated all the selected players who made the list for professional contracts with European clubs even as he urged those who were not selected not to be discouraged. ” I want to appeal that you guys should not be discouraged just because you were not among the shortlisted players, ” pleaded the one time Wisla Krakow midfield trojan who led Kaczmarczyk’s recruitment team to Nigeria. ” Don’t worry, your time will come. You all did well. So you should keep on training hard. “Almost everybody here is good but we cannot take you all to Europe at the same time. “I wish it’s possible, unfortunately for us we cannot do that. I wish you guys all the best in the subsequent editions.”