Rivers Urged To Sustain Performance, Dominate NSF

Following Rivers State unprecedented  performance and subsequent victory at the just concluded 17th National Sports Festival (NSF), Garden City Games 2011, sports authorities in the state have been urged to dig in and sustain the performance in future games.

This was the position of sports commentator Idris Auwalu, who said he was impressed with the manner the state hosted and won the sports festival.

Speaking in an interview with Tidesports at the Liberation Stadium weekend, shortly after the closing ceremony of the Garden City Games 2011, Auwalu said that the manner Rivers State hauled medals and knocked serial winners, Delta State off their perch showed that the state really prepared for the games.

According to him, ‘Rivers, as hosts, really knew what they wanted and went the full length to achieve it, I think they deserve commendation”.

He, however, said that victory at home was only the beginning of the task as the state would now be expected to defend her title in the forth coming 18th edition in Lagos.

Auwalu noted that the state has talents in abundance and the resources to make them successful, thus, he charged the state’s sports council to ensure that the achievements recorded at the games were not allowed to slip away.

Meanwhile, in separate interviews, the vice chairman of the Local Organising Committee, LOC of the 17th NSF, Hon Boma Iyaye and Secretary of Team Rivers, Mr Barisi Wifa stated the readiness of the state and its athletes to defend their title in subsequent editions of the festival.

While Iyaye, said that they would retain the athletes that made the state proud for future competitions, Wifa said, ‘ this victory is a result of good planning and execution. We have worked hard for the victory did not come on a platter of gold. For two years, our athletes were in camp preparing for the festival, we will work harder to defend the title”.

Rivers State won the festival with a total of 299 medals, 135 gold, 79 silver and  85 bronze beating Delta and Edo states to second and third positions, respectively.