By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, over the weekend expressed joy at the rate of young talents emerging from the Anambra State Sports Festival.

Soludo stated this during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Sports festival held at the Awka Stadium.

The Governor who was visibly excited at the athletic display of the students noted that athletes discovered through the festival have the capacity of winning laurels at National sporting events with most of the athletes having the potentials to represent the state and the nation at International Sporting games.

He said, “With the kind of athletes discovered from this year’s competition, there is hope for Anambra and Nigeria in winning medals at the International Championships.

"I am happy at the display of these children. I even jumped up during the relay out of excitement. We have talents here with potential to represent us both at national and international level.

"I want to assure you that my government will continue to support athletes who have excelled at the 2024 Anambra School Sports Festival by ensuring that they feature and represent the state at the upcoming National Youth Games later in the year and also at the 2025 National Sports Festival.

“I have watched the athletics and football finals at the just concluded 2024 Anambra Sports Solution Initiative (ANSSI). While watching the relay races, I felt like leaving my seat to assist some of the young athletes to push them over the finish line.

"You students have done wonderfully well and I have come to congratulate you all as well as all the participating schools and winners in their various events.

“I have seen a lot of talent myself and I am looking forward to the third edition next year. I will be here again in the third edition to cheer you up and to identify talents we are going to sponsor to the rest of the world.

"It is a very important beginning; this is the second edition of the Sports Solution Initiative. We started this process from the schools (Inter house sports), to the inter schools, the Local Government and have evolved to the finals at the State level; Anambra is soaring again. From this initiative, I am sure a lot of talents have been identified and you are going from here to the National and International level."

While promising to improve on the financial support during the third edition of the Anambra Sports Solution Initiative in 2025, he eulogized the ASSDC Chairman, Patrick Estate Onyedum and his team for the success story recorded in the course of the competition.

Meanwhile, Community Secondary School Amanuke emerged overall champions in the Senior Secondary School Category with 20 gold medals while Vision High School Nnewi trailed with18 gold to take the second position and Stella Maris Secondary School Umueri, third with 13 Gold medals.

For the junior category, Vision High School Nnewi took the lead with 19 gold medals ahead of Community Secondary School Amanuke who finished as the first runners-up with 12 gold and Ado Girls Secondary School Onitsha, third with 9 gold medals.

In the Primary School (cadet) level, Development Primary School Abata, Nsugbe finished tops on the medals’ table with 15 gold, ahead of Ovuakwu Primary School Umueri who finished second with 8 gold as Premier Primary School Aguleri settled for third place with 8 gold medals.

In the Track and Field events, Jideije Chimaamadi of Madonna Primary School Agulu won the gold medals in the 60 metres cadet finals for girls ahead of Mmesoma Udor of Central School Nanka and Mmasi Enemuo who came second and third respectively.

In the 60 metres cadet finals for Boys, Azuka Makuo of Irene Menakaya Primary School Onitsha won the gold medal ahead of James Emmanuel of Abo Central School Nnewi who settled for silver and Ifeanyi Chitoking of Central Primary School Nanka who came third.

Chibuike Mgbeafulukwe of Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School Abagana won the gold medal in the 100 metres finals senior for boys beating Shedrack Onwe of Nnewi High School and Akachukwu Onyejekwe of Holy Queens Secondary School Aguluzigbo who finished second and third respectively.

Chisimuria Odika of Federal Government College Nise was the fastest in the 100 metres finals senior girls category leapfrogging Chimamanda Okeke-Felix of Rosa Mystica High School Agulu and Chioma Egenti of St. John of God Secondary School Awka to second and third place respectively.

Onyebuchi Franklin of Boys Secondary School Oraifite won gold in the 100 metres Junior Boys category ahead of Anayo Udokwe of St. Augustine College Nanka who came second and John Chukwujeeeken Nwodo of Austica Memorial College Nanka who came third. Miracle Daniel of Ado Girls Secondary School Onitsha won the gold medal for the 100 metres Junior girls category while Adaeze Ezeifedoba and Chikamso Chiokolo both of Rosa Mystica High School Agulu settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.

In the soccer event, Igwedo Primary School Akwuzu won the Gold for the U-12 Boys Cadet while Uli Central School Uli and Uncle Ralph The Great Academy, Mgbakwu won the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Under-14 Junior category, Community High School Nanka defeated Uncle Ralph The Great Academy Mgbakwu in the finals to win gold while Bubendorf Memorial Grammar School Adazi-Nnukwu won the bronze medal.

Also, Bubendorf Memorial Grammar School Adazi-Nnukwu defeated Christ the King College Onitsha 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 regulation time to win the gold in the U-18 category for Boys with CKC Onitsha settling for Silver while Nigeria Science and Technical College Nnewi took the bronze medal.

Azia Comprehensive Secondary School Azia won the gold medal in the Female U-18 category ahead of Rosa Mystica High School Agulu who won silver and St. Alphonsus Secondary School Nkpor who settled for the bronze medal.

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