Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has been honoured in London for his contribution to grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
Diri received the Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Sports Development Award at the 2026 Nigerian Universal Keystone Sports Awards, NUKSA, held on Thursday night at the Ham Polo Club, Richmond.
The governor was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Daniel Igali, and his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah.
Speaking on behalf of the governor, Igali described the international recognition as an enormous honour and an endorsement of the administration’s achievements in sports.
He said Bayelsa, despite being one of the least populated states in the country, had in the last six years consistently ranked among the top three sporting states in Nigeria.
Igali said the state is currently constructing world-class sporting facilities and is preparing to host the National Sports Festival in 2028.
“On behalf of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, we thank the NUKSA organisers for this enormous honour. In six years that Senator Diri has been governor, we have become one of the top three states in terms of sports in Nigeria,” he said.
“Our goal is to bequeath to future generations facilities that when we leave office, in another 10 to 20 years, sports will continue to thrive in Bayelsa.”
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Director of the 2026 NUKSA Awards, Mr. David Doherty, commended Governor Diri for changing the narrative about Bayelsa in sports and infrastructure development.
Doherty described the governor as a passionate sports enthusiast and one of Nigeria’s outstanding leaders, adding that the awards were aimed at recognising excellence and inspiring the next generation of athletes within the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom and beyond.
Other recipients at the event included Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; his wife, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Dr. Ayimelott-Jonathan; Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Mr. Onoriode Oborevwori; and Chelsea youngster, Chizzy Ezenwata, who won the Emerging Talent Award.
