Kwara State contingent to the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta State, tagged Delta 2022, have been charged to be good ambassadors of the state by strictly adhering to the rules of the games, and shun drug abuse.

The Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Mogaji, stated this on Monday while addressing journalists in Ilorin, the State capital. Mogaji explained that 296 participants from the State, comprising of 203 athletes and 93 officials will be departing Ilorin for the Festival which commences this week.

He maintained that Kwara athletes are fully prepared and ready to surpass their previous records in the multi-sports event, noting Kwara athletes are in the festival for the purpose of winning more laurels for the State, and not for mere participation.

Mogaji lauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for promptly approving funds for the state contingents, adding that the gesture will not only encourage the athletes to perform well, but also motivate them to renew their loyalty with the Commission in the subsequent assignments.

“I wish to commend Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for releasing funds to prosecute the National Sports Festival in Delta,” Mogaji said.

“I like to confirm that apart from an improved daily allowances for the athletes, we have decided to adopt an additional motivational measure to assist their cause in doing the state proud.”

“Asides what may come from the government as a reward to the athletes after the Games, I have decided to reward athletes who win any colour of medal at the National Sports Festival with a token of Ten Thousand Naira instantly,” he added.

The ex-squash player and coach apologised to the state, especially team sports stakeholders for not featuring in football, baseball and softball, adding that the state failed to participate in the Zonal Elimination for team sports, which was the qualifiers for the main event as a result of scarcity of funds.

Kwara State athletes will be part of the 14, 000 athletes that will participate in Delta 2022 National Sports festival, which is about 2,000 more than the number that participated at the last edition held in Edo State.

The State will feature in only one team event, which is cricket, alongside other events like athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, cycling, judo, karate, kickboxing, kung-Fu, para- athletics, para- powerlifting, para-table tennis, scrabble, squash, swimming, table tennis and tennis.

Others are taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling, darts, deaf sports (male and female sprint event in athletics) and golf. Kwara finished 15th on the final medals table in the last Games in Edo State with seven gold, six silver and 31 bronze medals.