Team Bayelsa will compete in seven sports in the ongoing South-South zonal elimination for team sports ahead of the 23rd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Bayelsa State contingent arrived in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Sunday, February 23, 2025, with a total of 218 athletes and officials, comprising male and female volleyball, male and female football, male and female hockey, female basketball, and male handball teams.
With the completion of the technical meeting on Monday for the zonal elimination, the various states will now proceed to the competition to determine which states will qualify to represent the region in team sports at the festival.
Speaking shortly after the meeting, Director of Sports and Chairman of the South-South Directors of Sports, Sir Braveman Wodi, said that Bayelsa is fully prepared for the elimination, emphasizing that the contingent is in Benin to give the state a strong representation.
According to him, the purpose of the meeting was to ensure that all issues relating to the venue, transportation, as well as the rules and regulations of the games, are addressed to avoid protests during the competition. He described the South-South region as the powerhouse of sports in the nation.
He also mentioned that Team Bayelsa is in Benin City with a contingent of 218 athletes and officials, competing in seven team sports: male volleyball, both male and female hockey, female basketball, male handball, and male and female football. He noted that the team’s priority is to secure qualification in the various sports.
Meanwhile, action will commence tomorrow in different sports. The male volleyball team will face Delta State at 8 a.m. at Emotan College, Wire Road, Benin. The male handball team will begin their campaign at 8 a.m. at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, the same venue as the handball, while the male hockey team will take on Delta at 9:30 a.m. The Bayelsa female hockey team will face Edo State at 12 p.m. at St. Maria Goretti.
In the football event, the host team, Edo, and Bayelsa have been paired against each other at the Crescent Club Field on Tuesday, with a kickoff time of 8 a.m. Delta and Akwa Ibom are scheduled to face off at 10 a.m.
The female football category will see Delta take on host Edo State at 12 p.m., while Bayelsa has received a bye. Beach volleyball games will start at 9 a.m. at Ihogbe ICC Road, Benin.
