Monetary Motivation, Facilities make Delta keep dominating.
Delta state has been known as the home of sports in the country in the last decades with its immense performance at the country's sporting events.
The Big Heart State had been the champion of the National Sports Festival in different editions with back-to-back victories.
Historical Background of the National Sports Festival
The Nigerian National Sports Festival is the Country's national Sporting event which is also known as the 'Nigeria Olympic'.
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It is a biennial multi-sporting event organized by the Federal Government through the National Sports Commission for athletes from the 36 States and FCT Abuja.
The first National Sports Festival was staged in 1973 at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
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The game was conceived to serve as a tool to unify Nigeria to promote national integration and cross-cultural affiliation in the country after the Civil War in 1970.
Delta Dominates for Seven Consecutive time
Delta state has dominated the festival in the last Seven editions.
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Delta won the 21st edition on home soil with 648 medals, 320 gold, 200 silver, and 128 bronze medals to edge 35 other states and the FCT Abuja.
Bayelsa came second with 132 gold, 115 silver, and 90 bronze medals.
Motivation, Facilities are Reasons Delta keeps dominating
The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, has said that the State gives priority to Sports development.
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He added that the state goes to schools to discover talents and give equal academic opportunities to athletes.
He added government failed to give private schools licenses to operate if the school does not have sporting facilities.
He said, “First when we came in, the governor made it clear that no license should be issued to private schools that do not have fields where students can do sporting activities.
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“As I speak to you, all the secondary schools in Delta State have been closed to accommodate activities for this event because we have a good number of secondary students that are participating.
"After the Sports Festival, they will continue academic activities and we do not want a situation where some will be learning and some are doing sports, we want to give every student equal opportunity in academic activities, but I know they will do their exams before Christmas”.
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Meanwhile, the state motivates their athletes with a cash prize worth one million naira to all gold medalists, five hundred thousand Naira to all silver medalists, and two hundred and fifty thousand naira to bronze medalists.
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