Rivers Benchmark, Difficult To Surpass -Deputy Director

The Benue State Sports Council, says the benchmark set by the Rivers State government in the on-going 17th National Sports Festival will be difficult to surpass in the nearest future.

The Benue State Deputy Director of sports Prince Sunny Audu Young Onoja who said this in an exclusive interview with Tidesports in Port Harcourt said that the feat has challenged his home state to think of bidding for the 2016 National Sports Festival. Prince Onoja who is also the head of the   organising committee for the 17th National Sports Festival, Benue State, said that only Benue State could give Rivers a good fight as far as the hosting of the festival was concerned.

“It has been  fantastic and glamorous. It is the first of its kind in Nigeria. As a Nigeria, you saw what is happening in the Western world happening in the sports festival of this magnitude.

“I give kudos to the commitment of the state government and the support by His Excellency, the President of the country”, he said.

Prince Onoju, however said that Benue State would give Rivers State a big fight if it has the opportunity of hosting the 2016 festival.

His state he said had what it takes both in facilities and human resources to beat Rivers State, pointing out that this situation was done in 1996 when Benue State hosted the games.

The Deputy Sports Director also expressed the hope that Benue would move beyond its present 8th position on the medals table.

“Presently we are eight on the medals table, seven gold, three silver and eleven bronze and more are coming”,

He also said that the state was already looking at the possibility of coming second behind Rivers State in the overall event stressing that his state would continue to remain as one of the major sporting states in the country.