Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has affirmed that his administration will produce future Olympians and world champions through the 2024 Schools Sports Festival.
Soludo made the statement in Awka, the state capital, at the pre-competition press conference for the 2024 edition of Anambra State School Sports Festival, tagged ANSSI 2024.
The Governor was represented by his Chief of Staff, Ernest Ezeajughi, who disclosed that his government was also using sports to combat crimes by engaging the youth and students to effectively utilise their talents for better society.
He said that those already discovered at the first edition of the event have started contesting and winning laurels at national and international sporting events, adding that his administration was resolute in bringing out the best in children in order to channel their minds to meaningful ventures to enable them contribute to societal development.
Governor Soludo also tasked the Anambra State Sports Development Commission on engagement programmes to get more people on board to do more for the people in sports sector. He further urged the relevant stakeholders to key into sports project in the state to achieve better results.
Also Speaking at the occasion, the Commissioner for Youth Development Patrick Agha-Mbah, stated that sports had been reinvented by the incumbent administration as parts of the governor’s effort to produce a liveable and prosperous state.
He appreciated the governor and the chairman of Anambra State Sports Development Commission, Patrick Onyedum for their efforts in sports development as they helped in talent cultivation and showcased the state to the world.
On his part, Onyedum stated that about 756 primary and secondary schools have indicated interest to participate in the 2024 edition of Anambra State School Sports Festival.
“This year, students would compete in 12 sporting events including Athletics, Basketball, Chess, Football, Scrabble, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleybal, Cricket and Ncho,” Onyedum said.
“We shall have these games in three categories which are U 12, U-14 and U-18 at the Community, Local Government Area, Senatorial District and State levels. The sports Commission will continue to support them especially in the area of sports infrastructure.”
“Already, the preparation for this year’s National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State has started and the young and raw talents that will be discovered from this festival will constitute up to 85 percent of Anambra team to that Games.”
“In 2023, about 600 primary and secondary schools registered and participated in the sports festival and I want to gladly inform you that, it was not only a success but it has been yielding fruitful results.
As I speak to you, some of those athletes are on academic scholarships in some of the best schools in Abuja and Anambra. They have continued to progress steadily, this is evidenced in their performances at the ongoing MTN Secondary School Athletics Championship.”
“And about four of them have qualified for the final of that competition in Calabar and they are already there as we are gathered here right now,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State School Sports Festival will kick off on May 2nd and end on June 7th, 2024.
