By Ikenna Nwokedi
The ongoing Anambra State School Sports Festival is set to enter the zonal competition stages with actions to hold at three centres for each Senatorial district come Friday, 9th and Saturday, 10th June 2023.
The maiden school sports festival which is a brainchild of Patrick Estate Onyedum, Chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ASSDC) had earlier commenced on May 17th 2023 from the community level to the local government stages which was completed on Monday, 29th May 2023.
A total of 610 primary and secondary schools are participating in the colourful grassroot sports programme with over 15,000 student athletes competing for honours in 10 sporting events such as Athletics, Basketball, Chess, Football, Scrabble, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball and Taekwondo with Cricket as demonstration sports.
According to information made available to the media by the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) during her meeting held on Wednesday, 31st May 2023 at the ASSDC Conference hall, there will be four events to be competed for by student athletes at the zonal level namely football, basketball, volleyball and tennis.
Anambra Central Senatorial zone will have her events at St. Stephens Anglican Church Ifitedunu and St. Mary’s High School Ifitedunu. For Anambra North zone, their events will hold at Recreational Club and Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium all domiciled in Onitsha while for Anambra South zone, events will take place at Community Secondary School Isuofia and Ekwulobia Township Stadium, Aguata.
Patrick Estate Onyedum while reacting on the development so far commended the student athletes for their conduct, display and competitive spirit during the Community and Local Government stages of the competition. Onyedum urged them to replicate the same performance at the upcoming zonal competition while also eulogizing officials for their commitment and dedication in ensuring that the festival is hitch free, successful and results obtained are commendable.
The Chairman also thanked the Executive Governor of the State, His Excellency, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo for his immense support to sports development and the commission in ensuring that Anambra youths are meaningfully engaged sports and recreational wise.
The state finals of the ongoing Anambra School Sports Festival is expected to hold at the Awka City Stadium from Wednesday, 21st to Saturday, 24th June 2023.
