Organisers: We discovered over 600 exceptional athletes from last edition of Niger Delta Games

The organisers of the Niger Delta Games say 644 exceptional talents were identified from the last edition of the Niger Delta Games.

Itiako Ikpokpo, the co-chairman of the main organising committee (MOC), revealed the figure at a press conference on Wednesday.

Ikpokpo, who is also managing director of Dunamis Icon Limited, consultants for the Games, added that 150 athletes from the pool were then selected for nurturing, mentorship and extra training.

He added that there are discussions to integrate these selected athletes into a high-performance centre in Nigeria to enhance their development.

“We are grooming them so that their various states can also take over their development,” the MOC co-chairman said.

“We believe the states also have a role to play in harnessing talents within their jurisdiction. Niger Delta Games don’t want to own athletes.”

The organisers also added that the age limit for athletes entering the forthcoming 2026 Niger Delta Games will be reduced from 25 to 20 years.

Ikpokpo said the age reduction is aimed at preventing age falsification and vowed that violators will be heavily penalised.

All participating teams are allowed an equal number of athletes for the Games—270 each.

The second edition of the Niger Delta Games will be held in Benin City, Edo, in February 2026.

Only nine states from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will compete in the games. The states were Edo, Imo, Cross River, Ondo, Rivers, Abia, , Bayelsa and Delta.

Bayelsa are champions of the inaugural edition of the games, which held earlier this year.