Former Delta Commissioner of Sports Solomon Ogba says that any candidate who wishes to be elected governor in the state must be sports inclined.
Ogba expressed his belief in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja against the backdrop of the state’s giant strides in sports development.
The state is currently top on the medals table at the ongoing National Sports Festival (NSF) in Abuja.
“Team Delta is now a brand and it has got to the point where if you are not sports inclined, you cannot become governor of the state.
“You can see the interest the past governors have shown in sports, and this present governor has taken it to another level.
“Sports is in us and it is evident in our performance so far, so if Deltans perceive that a candidate cannot continue uplifting the sports sector, that person may not see the government house,” he said.
On the proposed financial benefits to medalists by the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, Ogba noted that it was a sign of commitment by the state’s administration.
“Delta is committed. We don’t have the highest revenue in the country, but we know that most of the people doing sports are from poor backgrounds.
“How much is N1 million prize money for gold medal in dollars? Is that what an athlete needs to really do well? No.
“But it’s just to show commitment and to encourage these athletes who have trained hard to make the state proud,” Ogba said.
The former Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) boss also added that no state at the moment could catch up with Delta in terms of sports development. (NAN)
