Imo Sets The Pace As 2nd Niger Delta Games Preparations Gain Momentum
With youth sports increasingly seen as a pipeline for regional talent and unity, Imo State has taken a decisive step towards the 2026 Niger Delta Games by inaugurating its Liaison Committee, signalling early readiness and strategic intent.
The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the office of the Imo State Commissioner for Sports as preparations intensify for the second edition of the Games, scheduled to hold next year in Edo State.
Managing Director of Dunamis Icon Limited and Project Consultant for the Games, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo-Atanaru of Irri Kingdom, formally set the committee in motion through his representative, veteran sports journalist Sir Fred Edoreh.
He announced that the 2026 Niger Delta Games would be strictly an under-20 competition, urging the committee to prioritise grassroots mobilisation and ensure timely registration of athletes on the official portal.
Sir Ikpokpo stressed that only properly registered athletes would be eligible to compete.
Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, praised the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dunamis Icon Limited for sustaining the Games, describing the championship as a credible platform for discovering and nurturing young talents across the region.
According to Onyeocha, the Games align with Governor Hope Uzodimma’s sports development agenda, which emphasises talent discovery at the grassroots.
“It is the mandate of His Excellency for us to go to the grassroots to discover talents, and these Games have come to help us achieve exactly that,” he said, assuring of discipline and full compliance with competition rules.
The Liaison Committee, chaired by Hon. Onyeocha, has Hon. Willie Okolieogwo as secretary, with Lady Justina Akpulo, Director of Sports, and Kennedy Onwunali as members.
The committee will coordinate pre-Games activities and logistics to ensure a smooth outing for Team Imo.
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