… Splashes Cash Reward On Medalists At A’Ibom Sports Festival
By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has directed the state ministries of education and sports to collaborate with the inter-ministerial organising committee of the just concluded State Sports Festival to revive sporting activities at primary and post-primary schools through the revival of inter-house and inter-school sports competitions.
Pastor Umo Eno, who gave the directive at the closing and medal presentation ceremony of the Akwa Ibom Sports Festival, said it was necessary to harness talents at tender levels to feature at national and international scenes.
He said sports was a multi-billion-dollar global industry and features prominently as a cardinal point of the sports tourism drive of his administration as outlined in the ARISE Agenda.
“I want the ministerial organizing committee to work with the state ministry of education to revive inter-house sports across all our schools in this State. That is where talents can be harnessed too. We can catch them young.
“Back in the days, we used to go to other secondary schools for sports competitions. I’d like us to begin those inter-secondary schools sports festivals. And I can tell you that, that was where we discovered some of the talented stars abroad. We shall make funding available, but sports and tourism must be encouraged. It will be a regular event in our calendar.
“We want to tap into this huge industry and discover new talents who would thereafter carry our flag at major sporting events. The theme of this festival, “Nurturing Talents, Promoting Tourism,” captures our strategic vision in this regard. Tourism is a key plank of this administration as we prepare our state for growth beyond oil.
“We hope to commission our ARISE Resorts in December, which, among other world-class amenities, parades a 9-hole golf course and sporting pavilions, both indoor and outdoor,” he said.
Eno said the last sports festival in the State took place 15 years ago and described the 2025 sports festival as a revival of sports in Akwa Ibom.
“In the last one week, we have brought together 3,600 youths drawn from all the 31 local government areas, who, in an infectious display of the spirit of unity, brotherhood, sportsmanship, and peace, competed for laurels in 18 individual sports and five team sports. The event, from all indications, has been a huge success,” he added.
Eno congratulated all the athletes who participated in the week-long event, saying, “You and the State are all winners, the youths are all winners, and the chairmen of local government councils who daily showed solidarity with their athletes and cheered them to victory are all winners as well.”
The governor congratulated athletes from the State who participated in the recent National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta, and commended them for winning 11 gold medals, 9 silver, and 10 bronze medals and also, for taking the 7th position overall, out of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that competed in the games.
“We are rewarding all the gold medalists with N500,000 each, N250,000 for silver, and N150,000 for bronze medalists. We will train them further at the Sports Academy in Eket, an ambitious and strategic investment we have undertaken, aimed at discovering, preparing, and exposing our youths to compete in sporting events, utilising modern sporting equipment we have purchased for the Academy,” he said
The sports festival produced 156 gold medalists, 156 silver, and 198 bronze medalists from 18 competitive sports.
The governor also appreciated and rewarded the organising committee, local government chairmen and local government supervisors of sports, for their commitment and dedication to the festival, and urged the committee to commence preparation for the 2026 edition.
The commissioner for sports, Elder Paul Bassey, local government chairmen, through the state chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Dr Uwemedimo Udo, and sports supervisors, through the dean of the College of Supervisors of Sports in Local Government Areas, Mr Ofonekpe, as well as the initiator of the Niger Delta Sports Festival and chairman of Dumanis Icon, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, in their respective speeches, commended Governor Eno for reviving sports festival in the State, saying that through the encounter, talents have been discovered and young people meaningfully engaged.
They also commended the governor for his committed investments in sports, especially for the soon to begin sports academy in Eket, purchase of sporting facilities, and appointment of a competent sports manager as commissioner in the Ministry of Sports.
High point of the event was the presentation of trophies to Itu, Uyo and Nsit Atai Local Government Areas, for coming first, second and third, respectively, in the competition.
Discussion about this post