TheCable

The Delta state government has unveiled the official mascot and logo for the 21st National Sports Festival scheduled to hold between November 2 and 15 this year.

Ifeanyi Okowa, the state governor, led other top sporting personalities including Sunday Dare, the youth and sports development minister; and Habu Gumel, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) president, during the unveiling on Wednesday night at the government house in Asaba.

Others are Sherriff Oborevwori, the speaker of the Delta house of assembly; Solomon Ogba, former Delta state sports commission chairman; and members of the state executive council.

Patrick Ukah, chairman of the local organising committee (LOC) who is also secretary to the state government, said the colourful ceremony indicated Delta’s readiness for the sports festival tagged ‘Uniting Nigeria, inspiring a new generation’.

“We believe this festival would go down in history as the best organised and most economically viable in recent history with the array of sponsors that have already aligned with the event,” Ukah said.

On his part, Dare commended the Delta state governor for his support for sports over the years.

“Delta has done so well for Nigerian sports over the years and hopefully the state would be ready to host the next edition of Nigeria’s mini- Olympics,” the minister said.

Okowa said Delta state was happy to bring home the sporting event it had dominated for many years.

”We want competitors but we are also sure of winning even here at home. We would put in our best and at the end we would show that truly, ‘Delta no dey Carry Last’,” he said.

The official mascot, named UZO, symbolises Delta state’s physical power, strength, ferocity, focus, and willpower to continue to dominate in sports.