By De-Patriot
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to discovering, nurturing and investing in young sporting talents following Edo State’s victory at the second edition of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Games tagged: Edo 2026.
The governor made the pledge while receiving the champions’ trophy during a reception held at the New Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, in honour of Team Edo for emerging overall winners of the regional sporting tournament.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, the governor commended the athletes, coaches and sports administrators for their dedication and discipline, which earned Edo State the top position on the medals table.
“Congratulations to my dear state, Edo State, for the victory at the second NDDC Games hosted here in Edo. Some of our athletes will represent Nigeria in future Olympic Games,” Okpebholo said.
He recalled that during the opening ceremony of the competition, he had expressed confidence that Edo would not only host the tournament but also emerge victorious.
“At the opening ceremony of the NDDC Games Edo 2026, I said Edo State is not just hosting but hosting to win. Today, we have truly won, defeating other states,” he added.
Governor Okpebholo reiterated his earlier pledge to reward the victorious athletes with ₦30 million, describing the achievement as a moment of pride for the entire state.
“I promised you ₦30 million if you win, and today you have delivered. We are celebrating because we hosted and we won. You have dominated the medals table and made Edo very proud,” he said.
The governor assured that his administration would continue to invest strategically in sports development, noting that the talents discovered during the tournament would be groomed to compete at national and international levels.
“Your talent is something we must harness, build on and invest in so that Edo can produce champions who will represent Nigeria in global competitions,” he stated.
Governor Okpebholo also commended the coaches for their role in shaping the athletes’ performances, describing them as the real heroes behind the medals.
Earlier, Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Desmond Enabulele, attributed the victory largely to the governor’s proactive support and early preparation for the competition.
He noted that the NDDC Games triumph represents Edo State’s first major multi-sport tournament victory in about 24 years. According to him, early approval of the budget enabled Team Edo to commence camping well ahead of the competition, giving the athletes adequate preparation.
Enabulele added that Team Edo excelled particularly in swimming and weightlifting, with the weightlifting team alone delivering 17 gold medals.
At the end of the competition, Edo State finished first on the medals table with 52 gold, 34 silver and 25 bronze medals, bringing the total to 111 medals and emerging overall champions ahead of eight other participating Niger Delta states.
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