Executive Chairman of the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Samuel Mariere, has described the 2025 Basic Education Schools Sports (BESS) competition as a groundbreaking initiative designed to discover and groom young athletes from the grassroots.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the games held at the Southern Delta University Stadium, Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area, Mariere lauded Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for his consistent support for basic education and youth development in the state.
“The 2025 BESS competition is the first of its kind in Delta State. It has been thoughtfully designed to identify and nurture budding talents from the primary school level.
“We are grateful to Governor Oborevwori for his genuine love for education and for inspiring our children to dream big,” he said.
Mariere announced that Delta State would represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Under-15 Basic School Competition in Burkina Faso, adding that winners from the state-level contest would also compete at the National BESS Championship.
He encouraged the young athletes to remain focused and dedicated, describing the competition as “the beginning of their journey to greatness.”
The event concluded with excitement and jubilation among pupils, teachers, and education stakeholders who praised the initiative for reviving grassroots sports in the state.
The two-week sporting festival, jointly organized by the Delta SUBEB and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), featured pupils from all 25 local government areas competing in football, scrabble, table tennis, and athletics.
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Pessu Primary School from Warri South Local Government Area emerged champions in football after defeating Obioma Primary School, Obinomba, Ukwuani, in a fiercely contested final.
In scrabble, Benita Okwuezulu of Owessei Primary School, Ndokwa West, won the female title, while Wealth Ezegbue of Nana Primary School, Warri, topped the male category.
Lucky Tejiri of Oreki Primary School, Ethiope West, claimed victory in the table tennis event. In athletics, Ibina Favour (Oshimili North) and Osiokor Simson (Ughelli North) won the 100m female and male races, respectively, while Ineh Happy (Sapele) and Kemute Favour (Ughelli South) triumphed in the 200m events.
Isoko North dominated the 4x100m relay, taking gold in both male and female categories.
Sapele Local Government Area emerged overall winner of the tournament, securing two gold medals and several other honours.
