By Jude Michael
The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has disclosed plans in making Anambra the number one sports talent hunt destination for national and diaspora scouts in different sporting events.
Consequently, the Anambra State Sports Commissioner, Mr Patrick Estate Onyedum, has entered into agreement with institutions of higher learning in Europe and America which offer scholarships to talented students. This was revealed during a welcome speech by Mr Onyedum on 25th May, 2023, at Government house, Awka.
In his words, ‘Mr Governor has graciously approved the First School Sports Festival in Anambra State after more than 10 years. The festival is being organized by Anambra State Sports Development Commission, (ASSDC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Local Government Affairs.’
He noted that a total number of 610 schools, including primary and secondary schools across the 21 local government areas of Anambra State enrolled to participate in this festival which aims to take Anambra State back to its days of glory in sports.
‘We are confident that at the end of this tournament we would have raised 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,’ he said.
Onyedum said that within the first eight months of the current management team, Anambra had taken part in a number of national sports competitions, including the National Sports Festival in Delta State last year, where the state won six gold, nine silver and 24 bronze medals.
The governor, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, reiterated his administration’s commitment to promoting sports and sporting activities in the state, as well as propelling overall development of the state.
He further revealed that many sporting activities had been going on at the Awka City Stadium, while many developmental projects were currently going on in different parts of the State, courtesy of the State Government.
The governor further stated that the office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), would be commissioned in the state shortly, while many other foreign partners and inventors had shown interest and desire to come into the state as a result of the multi-faceted transformation going on in the state.
Contributing, the State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, said there were three areas in the development of a child which should be considered while empowering and training a child. She listed them as cognitive domain, affective domain, and lastly the psychomotor domain, which, she said, reflected learning behaviour achieved through sports and neuromuscular motor activities.
She commended the leadership of the Sports Development Commission for their efforts in promoting sporting activities in Anambra, even as she reassured the unwavering support of her Ministry.
In a vote of thanks, the Chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Anambra State Chapter, Mr. Tony Oji, described the event as a new beginning of sporting events in the state.
He urged Ndi Anambra and students of Anambra to maximize the opportunity and utilize it so that sports in the state would develop.
Unveiling of the Solution School Sports Festival logo formed the highpoint of the event.
