Winners of Anambra Academicals Football Cup with N4Million

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has presented cash rewards of about N4 million to the winners of the 2022 edition of the Academicals football cup for primary and secondary schools in Anambra State.

The cash rewards were handed over to the schools and students at the Anambra State Sports Development Commission on Thursday.

Cash prizes of N1 million and N500,000 were given to first and second-place winners respectively in the male and female U17 categories, while N500,000 and N250,000 were given to first and second-placed U13 or primary schools.

Patrick-Estate Onyedum, Chairman of the Commission, who performed the ceremony on behalf of Soludo, congratulated the beneficiaries on their deserved recognition and rewards.

He said the commission recognized the differences in the talent endowment of youths and would continue to provide the necessary environment for them to explore and achieve excellence.

He said sports was a critical component of the youth empowerment thrust of his administration and charged students to give as much attention to talent development as they did to their academics.

According to the chairman, the Anambra State Sports Solution Initiative (ANSSI) is aimed at discovering national and Olympics champions from the earliest age.

“The 2023 edition of ANSSI was very successful, for the first time Anambra became champions in 100m, 200m, 4×100 relay, and Volleyball at the National Youth Games, all these athletes were discovered during our school sports festival,” he said.

Onyedum said Governor Soludo had graciously approved that the Anambra School Sports Festival would be a yearly event because of the success of the recent edition, while charging schools and students to ensure they took part in the 2024 edition.

Ukpor High School in Nnewi South Local Government Area (LGA) and Washington Memorial Grammar School got N1 million and N500,000 in the male U17 category.

In the female U17 category, Christ The Redeemer College, Amaesi, Aguata, and Stella Maris College, Umueri in Anambra East got N1 million and N500,000, respectively, for first and second-place finishes.

In the U13 category for primary schools, Umuaraba Primary School, Ukpor, got N500,000, while Anyaegbunam Primary School, Onitsha, got N250,000 in cash for placing first and second, respectively.

Six students were given prize money of N25,000 each for emerging as the best goalkeepers, highest goal scorers, and most valuable players.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Rev. Fr Emmanuel Onuorah, Principal of Stella Maris College, Umueri, thanked Governor Soludo for the kind gesture.

Onuorah said the Anambra government was revolutionizing sports by the uncommon attention the grassroots was getting and promised that the school system would help achieve the desired objectives in sports.

“Not every child can solve mathematics on paper, others do it on the football pitch, some intelligent people do not know how to drive, but there are some illiterates that are Formula 1 winners, so on behalf of all the schools, I want to thank the state government for this big encouragement,” he said.