The Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Bibo Lambert, has reiterated the state government’s resolve to maintain zero tolerance for age falsification in grassroots sports development.
Lambert said integrity and fairness remain central to the state’s sports development philosophy, and that Bayelsa would not subvert laid-down rules in pursuit of laurels.
He made the assertion in Calabar, Cross River State capital, on the sidelines of the rigorous screening exercise for athletes participating in the South-South zonal elimination of the maiden National Intermediate Games at the U.J. Esuene Stadium.
The sports director described the screening as imperative to guarantee that only eligible athletes participate in the competition, lamenting that age cheating has continued to undermine the credibility and growth of grassroots sports in the country.
He said the menace can only be curbed through collective action by all stakeholders, to restore confidence in youth competitions where athletes are expected to compete on merit and within defined age brackets.
According to Lambert, Bayelsa State has consistently taken a principled position against age manipulation and will not encourage any attempt to circumvent competition rules for medal advantage.
While noting that the state is committed to posting outstanding performances at the Intermediate Games, he emphasised that Bayelsa is not desperate to win at the expense of integrity, fairness and long-term athlete development.
His words: “The message from Bayelsa State has always been clear: there will be no manipulation of the rules. Bayelsa 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.
“Everyone has a responsibility to help eliminate this poison and restore confidence in grassroots sports competitions.”
Lambert further maintained that grassroots competitions should serve as veritable platforms for identifying, nurturing and exposing authentic talents with the potential to represent Nigeria at international competitions.
He called on athletes, coaches, parents and officials to support transparent screening processes, noting that safeguarding the sanctity of age-grade competitions is vital to building a credible and sustainable future for Nigerian sports.
He expressed optimism that Bayelsa would qualify as many team sports as possible for the National Intermediate Games scheduled for the first quarter of 2027 in Lagos.
No fewer than seven team sports, comprising male and female categories, make up the Bayelsa contingent to the zonal elimination. They include Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Football, Handball, Hockey, Volleyball and Abula.
