Sen. Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, and Chancellor of the Sports University of Nigeria, has congratulated Team Delta for its outstanding performance at the just-concluded Gateway Games 2024.

Nwoko’s congratulatory message is contained in a statement made available at the weekend

The team, with its performance secured its fifth consecutive National Sports Festival title.

The festival, which wrapped up on Thursday, brought together more than 10,000 athletes across 549 events, offering a vibrant platform for showcasing talent and resilience from all parts of Nigeria.

Team Delta led the medal table with 98 gold, 66 silver, and 80 bronze medals; maintaining a wide margin over their closest competitors, Bayelsa and Ogun States.

Commending the athletes, Nwoko described their victory as a testament to the determination and natural resilience of young Nigerians.

“Our athletes have proven once again that talent abounds in every corner of this country. What we must now do is to ensure that these talents are not wasted.

“They must be nurtured, trained, and prepared long before competitions like this,” he said.

The lawmaker stressed the need for institutionalising sports preparation through year-round training, early athlete identification and development programmes for the country to excel not just at local festivals, but at continental and global stages.

“Winning at home is great, but our ambition should be global. That means deliberate and structured preparation, not last-minute fire brigade approaches.

“We must start preparing our athletes for tomorrow — today.

“As Chancellor of the Sports University of Nigeria, I reaffirm the institution’s commitment to being a hub for advanced training, research, and collaboration in sports science and development,” he said.

According to him, the doors of the Sports University remain open to young athletes, coaches, and stakeholders for training, partnership, and continuous improvement.

“We are building an ecosystem that does not just celebrate wins; we create winners,” he said.

Nwoko called on sports administrators across Nigeria to embrace a more proactive and grassroots-driven approach to discovering and nurturing talent.