The commissioner for sports in Bayelsa State, Honourable Daniel Igali has revealed that plans have commenced in earnest towards hosting a top-class international marathon race in the capital, Yenagoa.
Igali disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Sports247 after witnessing Saturday’s Premium Trust Bank Half-marathon in Abuja, which he hailed as a race of very high standard.
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The former wrestler, who won gold medals for Canada at the 1999 World Wrestling Championship, Sydney 2000 Olympics and 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, said: “It was exciting and professionally done.
“It was an international half-marathon that met all standards expected of a reliable event at this level. It equalled anything that I’ve seen elsewhere in the world.”
The former president of Nigeria Wrestling Federation added that he was in Abuja to monitor the race and take major observations back to Yenagoa, in order to serve as yardsticks for their plan to stage a similar event in 2026.
“I am happy that Bayelsa State is looking at the possibility of hosting something like this next March. That’s why I came here to observe things on the directive of our governor.
“I came to see the feasibility of hosting something of this nature next year in Yenagoa,” Igali affirmed.
He then showered encomiums on Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, for giving keen attention to sports, not only as a tool for unity but also an ideal means of boosting their image as a leading hub for healthy activities in the country.
Igali declared, “You will see such good things happening in your state when you have a forward-looking governor; someone who understands the values of sports and its importance to the human psyche as well as the society.
“We will also host the 2028 National Sports Festival. Next week, we’ll be hosting the Governor Diri National Wrestling Classics, where we are expecting 30 states and 12 clubs to converge on Yenagoa for about a week.
“We also consistently host different football tournaments. This year alone, we’ve hosted six national championships in various sports.
“All these confirm that Bayelsa State has become a hub of sports and, for the foreseeable future, it will continue to be so,” Igali assured.
