By: Odieh Ramon, Yenagoa.

The second Niger Delta Games got underway on Friday night with a colourful opening ceremony at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

It was an electrifying atmosphere inside the mainbowl of the Stadium in the Edo State capital characterized by pomp and fanfare as participating States lined up to register their presence in the traditional march past.

Declaring the Games open, President Bola Tinubu reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the advancement of sports as a cardinal pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda, while highlighting the immense contributions of the Niger Delta to the development of the nation.

President Tinubu commended the organisers for initiating the competition which according to him would provide a platform for young athletes to excel.

Represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan- Enoh, he emphasized that the Games symbolized the transition of the Niger Delta from a region once characterized by unrest to an area of peace, security and sustainable development.

Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh said sports provides a veritable platform for fostering regional integration, healthy competition and national cohesion.

Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogboku stressed that the competition targets amateur athletes in the region to nurture them to stardom.

Governor Monday Okpebholo commended the NDDC’s vision for using sport as a means of youth empowerment, regional integration and sustainable peace in the region.

The opening ceremony was spiced by fireworks, calisthenics display and performances showcasing the rich Bini and Niger Delta culture just the police band was also on hand to entertain the audience.

Over three thousand athletes and officials from nine States of the region are taking part in sixteen sporting events at the fiesta.

Meanwhile, on Day one of Competition which featured football, Bayelsa and Imo played a 2-2 draw, while hosts, Edo thrashed Akwa Ibom 6-0 as Akwa Ibom and Delta settled for a 1-1 draw in men’s football.

Winners of the first edition of the Niger Delta Games, Team Bayelsa’s delegation led by the Commissioner for Sport Development, Daniel Igali and the Director of the State Sports Council, Andrew Aye has 270 athletes and 46 coaches taking part in 16 sporting events.