By Kennedy Onwunali
Preparations for the second edition of the Niger Delta Games received a major boost on Tuesday as organisers of the championship inaugurated the Imo State Liaison Committee ahead of the event scheduled to hold next year in Edo State.
The inauguration took place at the office of the Imo State Commissioner for Sports, where the 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.
Sir Ikpokpo, who was represented at the ceremony by veteran sports journalist, Sir Fred Edoreh, announced that the 2026 Niger Delta Games would strictly be an under-20 competition. He charged members of the liaison committee to ensure massive mobilisation and timely registration of Imo athletes on the Games’ official portal, stressing that only duly registered athletes would be cleared to participate.
In his remarks, the Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dunamis Icon Limited for initiating and sustaining the Games for two consecutive years, describing the championship as a credible platform for talent discovery and development in the region.
Hon. Onyeocha noted that the Niger Delta Games align perfectly with the sports development vision of the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma, assuring that Imo State is fully prepared to participate and comply with all rules and regulations guiding the competition.
“It is the mandate of His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, for us to go to the grassroots to discover talents, and these Games have come to help us achieve exactly that,” Onyeocha said. “On behalf of the committee, I assure you that we will insist on quality, thoroughness, discipline and total compliance.”
The Imo State Liaison Committee is chaired by Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, with Hon. Willie Okolieogwo serving as secretary. Other members include the Director of Sports, Lady Justina Akpulo, and Kennedy Onwunali.
The committee is charged with the responsibility of coordinating all pre-Games activities and handling logistics to ensure a hitch-free participation of Team Imo at the 2nd Niger Delta Games.
