By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Chairman, Anambra State Sports Commission, Mr Patrick Estate Onyedum, has announced the registration of six hundred and ten schools consisting of primary and secondary schools across the 21 local government areas of the state to participate in the state schools sports festival.

He stated this during a press conference to mark the opening ceremony of the competition in Awka on Thursday.

Onyedum explained that the grassroots development programme is borne out of the Commission’s desire to take Anambra State back to its days of glory in sports, “when we produced national champions in different sporting events including the CKC 1977 team that won the world Academicals in Dublin.”

He expressed confidence that at the end of the tournament which is done in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Local Government Affairs, a generation of young athletes that would surprise the country at the National Youth Games scheduled for September this year and by extension at the National Sports Festival scheduled for Ogun state next year will emerge.

The chairman said: “Within the eight months life of this management team, Anambra has taken part in a number of national sports competitions including the National Sports Festival in Delta State last year where we won six gold, nine silver and 24 bronze medals.

“Mr Governor released money for just one month after my appointment as chairman of the sports Commission.

“We participated at the National School Athletics Championship in Ogun State, Athletics Federation of Nigeria U18 All Comers Trials and 2^nd Strata Base National Karate Championship held in Bayelsa all this year where Anambra State won four gold and four silver to emerge second in the entire country behind Abuja.

“I am glad to announce to Mr Governor that performances of our team at these competitions were impressive and that these sports ambassadors are still awaiting the Solution Welcome and Handshake.

“As a matter of fact Goodluck Fiaku Ezechukwuchiri who emerged third in the high jump event African Junior Athletics Championship early the month is here.”

According to Onyedum, 60 young athletes in different sporting events have been listed for monthly training support, but for lack of resources the Commission have managed to place only six of them on a monthly stipend of N20,000.

While saying that the money is not a meal ticket; he stressed that it is tied to performance, but subject to review yearly.

He described Anambra as home of sports, saying that the Commission is determined to carry out programmes that would help in the realisation of the solution agenda for sports.

The ex-national goalkeeper added: “We will not only use sports as a tool for empowering the youth will use it as a grassroots mobiliser to create awareness on the exploits of Solution administration and galvernise support for it.

“In line with the Solution Agenda of Mr Governor, we are determined to make Anambra the number one talent hunt destination for national and international scouts in different sporting events.

“School sports festivals provide a veritable platform for identification and nurturing of potential beneficiaries of that opportunity. I assure you that in no distant time, Anambra children will start to find their way to studying abroad through sports sponsorship.

“Mr Governor these students before you are happy for the opportunity you have given them to explore their sporting talents while pursuing their educational career.

“The festival is designed to touch every community. That is why we started the preliminaries at the community level, schools that win at this stage will compete to emerge as their local government representatives where they will in turn compete at the Senatorial District levels.

“The finalists will then proceed to the State Finals which will take place in different venues between June 21 and June 24 where they will compete for glory for their various schools and local government areas.”

Onyedum informed Governor Soludo that the Sports Commission has entered into agreement with institutions of higher learning in Europe and America which offer scholarships to talented students.

Onyedum used the opportunity to call on Local Government Area transition Chairmen to support their teams to the best of their abilities to enable them give their best and emerge champions.

He thanked the Governor for graciously approving the festival which is the first School Sports Festival in Anambra State after more than a decade.

The chairman further said that the festival is organized by Anambra State Sports Development Commission, the sports management agency of the government signed into law in 2018 by the Anambra State House of Assembly and domiciled in the Office of the Executive Governor.

Dignitaries at the opening ceremony included Prof Chukwuma Soludo, the Deputy Gov, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, Mr. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, Hon Commissioner for LG Affairs.

Prof. NgoziChuma-Udeh, Hon Commissioner for Education, Mr Patrick Aghamba, Hon. Commissioner for Youth Development, and Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu Secretary to the State Government.

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