The Chairman, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Sports Committee, Dr Dereck Orji has commended the vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone for the sponsorship and successful hosting of the just concluded Invitational Athletics And Combat Sports tournament.
He also extolled the university sports directorate led by Mr Kenneth Ogbonna for organizing a professionally sound invitational and powering the award given to the vice Chancellor.
Dr Orji made the commendations in an interview with Newspathfinder after the official launch of the university tartan tracks and closing ceremony of the Prof Charles Esimone Invitationals where he described the vice Chancellor as godsent who has changed the face of the university and it’s fortunes in the area of sports.
He described the award to the vice Chancellor as well deserving going by his numerous achievements in sports development in Nnamdi Azikiwe University and by extension South East universities.
“The award ‘ICON OF YOUTH AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT SOUTH EAST NIGERIA’ is well deserving. Our vice Chancellor Prof Charles Esimone has put Nnamdi Azikiwe University in an enviable spot in the map of sports development in Nigerian universities. The university sports directorate did well”.
“Today we have a tartan tracks, volleyball and basketball courts, hosted the best SEUGA Games and other achievements. He gave our athletes a sense of belonging”, he said.
The Chairman congratulated athletes of the university for winning the Invitational with stellar performances in athletics and combat games.
Also speaking, the Director, Mr Kenneth Ogbonna described the Prof Charles Esimone Invitationals as a novel sporting program that provided a platform for universities in the South East to be part of the biggest sports variety fiesta in the zone.
While dispelling the erroneous impression that it was a SEUGA event, Mr Ogbonna explained that the tournament was a platform to officially launch/open the new tartan tracks of the UNIZIK Stadium Complex.
He said that though the event nwas for South East universities, those that participated were only on invitation.
Six universities Nnamdi Azikiwe University, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Abia state University, Enugu state University of Science and Technology, Paul University and Spiritan University participated in the three day event.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University won the tournament with 12 gold, 12 silver and five bronze medals followed by University of Nigeria and Abia state University who pooled 11gold, 13 silver, 1bronze and 3 gold, 3silver, 4 bronze medals to pick second and third positions.
