Gov. Otti Reaffirms Commitment To Sports Development

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sports development, youth empowerment and grassroots talent discovery as the state hosted the second edition of the Abia State Darts Championship in Umuahia.

The championship, held on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the Indoor Sports Hall of Umuahia Township Stadium, was organised by the Abia State Government in collaboration with the Darts Federation of Nigeria to discover emerging talents, promote grassroots participation and create opportunities for athletes to compete at national and international levels.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Governor Otti, represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sir Nwaobilor Nwadinma Ananaba, said the competition reflected the state government’s determination to promote sporting excellence and provide young people with opportunities to develop their talents.

The Governor noted that sporting competitions such as the darts championship would broaden opportunities for athletes, strengthen grassroots sports development and encourage young people to pursue their sporting ambitions.

He described darts as a sport that demands concentration, patience, discipline and mental strength, stressing that these qualities were essential not only in sports but also in leadership and everyday life.

“Through competitions such as this, we are creating opportunities for athletes to demonstrate their talents, improve their skills and aspire to represent Abia State and Nigeria at the national and international levels,” he said.

Governor Otti expressed satisfaction with the continuity of the championship, noting that its second edition demonstrated the importance of sustained efforts to establish a viable sporting culture in the state.

He called for greater support for sporting associations, increased grassroots participation and deliberate efforts to ensure that talented athletes were not denied opportunities because of financial and material constraints.

The Governor also commended the Darts Federation of Nigeria, the Abia State Darts Federation, coaches, technical advisers and other stakeholders for their contributions to the organisation of the championship.

He urged participating athletes to uphold fairness, discipline, integrity and sportsmanship, emphasising that the character displayed during competition was as important as winning.

In his remarks, the Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George, represented by the Secretary of the Abia State Sports Council, Jerry Udeh, expressed delight that the Darts Federation of Nigeria had returned to Abia for the second edition of the championship, saying it indicated the state had made considerable progress in providing facilities, equipment and technical personnel.

“We must have done very well in the first edition to warrant the National Darts Federation to come back the second time,” he said.

George disclosed that Abia has hosted more than 40 zonal and national sporting events, attributing the state’s capacity to its security arrangements and the Otti administration’s commitment to effective governance and infrastructure.

“When you are prepared for governance, all of these things move freely. The governor is prepared for governance, and you can see that in every sector of the economy, security wise, social infrastructure, sports and all that,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Darts Federation of Nigeria, Mr. Awolola Adeyemi, identified the introduction of darts into secondary schools as a major strategy for expanding participation and discovering young talents.

Adeyemi said the championship provides an opportunity to assess athletes from Abia and other participating states, noting that most of the country’s best players are from Abia.

“Yes, we have most of our best players from Abia State here. So we have invited others to come and compete with them again here, then we will be able to know that these are tested and trusted players,” he said, disclosing that promising athletes around 15 years have been identified.