The Managing Consultant of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, NDSF Itiako Ikpokpo, teed off the Golf Kitty organised in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
This is even as the organisers rev up preparations for the Cultural Expo with the stage being rigged and rehearsals commenced.
Held at the Ibom Golf and Country Club on Saturday morning, on the sidelines of the sports competitions, the event is part of the community engagement activities of the festival to foster social networking.
Over 130 golfers are in the kitty with members of the Main and Local Organising Committees of the Niger Delta Sports Festival in attendance.
“The NDSF project sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was designed to achieve multipurpose objectives of discovering and nurturing athletes, forter regional integration and engaging our host community.
“We have also provided opportunity for games demonstration towards bringing them in when the next edition holds. Cricket and Rugby are such games and we will keep redesigning the festival concept to accommodate more sports,” Mr Ikpokpo told Journalists at the event.
The festival also incorporated a Cultural Expo that will hold on 7 April and a number of upcoming entertainers from the nine mandate states will be on parade for comedy, music and masters of ceremony.
Edi Lawani, the country’s leading entertainment impresario said the Cultural Expo is a community engagement platform to provide the people of Akwa Ibom State, the festival community and tourists a time to wind down.
“Over 40 artistes will be on parade as we provide music, comedy, dance and food court for everyone in Uyo to feel the sports festival atmosphere outside the competition venues and make new social and business friends”, the thickly Lawani said dorning his trademark shorts and backpack.
“Just as the NDSF is poised to discover new talents in sports, the cultural expo of the NDSF is equally designed to give a boost to and uplift young upcoming talents in the creative industry,” Mr Lawani further stated.
Established talents like Comedian Delstalker and Singer Humble Smith are billed to perform, to give inspiration and mentorship to the assembled young talents.
He said emphasis has also been placed on gender inclusiveness as there are female artistes, female Disc Jockeys and a female red carpet host, who are set take their place of pride at the event.
The Expo night, which holds at the popular Unity Park also known as the Christmas Village, will enjoy the full compliment of exotic show lighting display and large screen format projection.
Photo Caption… (left) Itiako Ikpokpo, the NDSF Managing Consultant and Isua Archibong, Captain of Ibom Golf and Country Club.
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