Bayelsa Prioritises Talent Development Over Medals at NSC Elimination

Posted : 11 September 2026

Bayelsa State has declared that its participation in the South-South zonal elimination of the maiden National Intermediate Games is driven by talent development rather than an obsession with winning medals.

Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Bibowei Lambert, made this known during the screening of athletes at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar, Cross River State.

Lambert said the state would not sacrifice the future of its young athletes by engaging in age cheating or any other form of manipulation to gain an advantage in competition.

He described the screening exercise as a crucial step towards protecting the integrity of the Intermediate Games and ensuring that athletes compete strictly within the stipulated age categories.

According to him, age cheating remains a major threat to the credibility and development of grassroots sports in Nigeria, making strict and transparent screening essential.

Lambert said Bayelsa had consistently maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards age cheating and would not compromise its principles simply to increase its medal haul.

“The message from Bayelsa State has always been clear; there will be no manipulation of the rules,” he said.

“Bayelsa State will continue to uphold strict standards in age-grade competitions. The screening exercise is important to protect the integrity of the National Intermediate Games and ensure that only eligible athletes compete within the stipulated age limits.

“We are not prepared to compromise our principles simply for medals because genuine talent development is more important than short-term success.”

The sports director urged athletes, coaches, parents, officials and other stakeholders to support credible screening processes, stressing that everyone has a role to play in eliminating age cheating from grassroots competitions.

“Everyone has a responsibility to help eliminate this poison and restore confidence in grassroots sports competitions,” Lambert said.

He added that age-grade competitions should provide a reliable pathway for discovering, nurturing and exposing young talents capable of progressing to national and international levels.

Lambert expressed optimism that Bayelsa would qualify as many of its team sports as possible for the National Intermediate Games scheduled for the first quarter of 2027 in Lagos.

The state is participating in the South-South zonal elimination with male and female teams in seven sports — basketball, beach volleyball, football, handball, hockey, volleyball and abula.

While Bayelsa remains ambitious about its competitive prospects, Lambert maintained that the state’s ultimate objective is to build a credible pipeline of young athletes whose development is based on merit, discipline and fair competition.

Bayelsa Prioritises Talent Development Over Medals at NSC Elimination

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