Kingsley Braide, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Sports Council says 440 athletes will represent the State in the forthcoming National Sports Festival slated for Benin City, Edo State.

Director of sports in the Council, Sir Braveman Wodi who confirmed the figure also said the state was ready for the festival which will run from 6th to16th of this month.
At an interactive session with newsmen in his office in Yenagoa, ahead of the much anticipated showpiece, Sir wodi assured that the state will return with many laurels.
He said the collective desire of the state contingent was to surpass the previous records set in the National Sports Festival, pointing out that the athletes in camp are in high spirit and that team Bayelsa would make the state proud.
He further explained that 33 associations would take part in the rescheduled Edo 2020 Fiesta, especially where the state has comparative advantage such as Wrestling, Swimming and combatant sports.
Wodi debunked rumours making the rounds that the kits of team Bayelsa carried the tag Team Nigeria at the back.
He also disclosed that Bayelsa State would host a national scrabble event immediately after the National Sports Festival, stressing that the idea was to discover new talents in all sports.
It will be recalled that Bayelsa finished 5th in the 2018 edition in Abuja with 33 gold medals, 49 bronze medal and 56 silver.