NSF: Anambra Sports Boss Hails Soludo, Promises Better Outing In Ogun 2024
Patrick Estate Onyedum, Chairman of Anambra Sports Development Commission (ASDC) has expressed gratitude for his political and financial support towards the successful participation of the state at the just concluded 21st National Sports Festival (NSF) in Asaba, Delta State.
Onyedum who spoke during the closing ceremony on Saturday commended the Anambra contingent for their competitive spirit and good conduct.
Anambra sent a total of 249-man team including 204 athletes and 45 officials to the festival.
Anambra finished 14 on the final medals table with six gold, nine silver and 24 bronze.
Onyedum said Soludo had demonstrated his love for sports and youths of Anambra by ensuring that the state participated at the festival with a large contingent in spite the harsh economy.
“My gratitude goes to Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra who within eight months in office sponsored the Anambra team to compete with their contemporaries from across the country.
“He has shown that he loves sports, he has proven that he us bit only interested in driving the economy but in building youths through sports,” he said.
Onyedum said the performance of the Anambra team was impressive given the circumstances of the preparations but promised that next outing would be better.
He regretted that two gold medals prospects who could have won three gold medals did not join the team because of poaching problems and academics.
The chairman said he would go back to build a state team that would be grassroots based and comprehensive while ensuring that Anambra would come out stronger in the next edition to be hosted by Ogun State in 2024.
“Recall that in the last edition in Edo State, Anambra won six gold but that with wonder kid Stephanie Onusiriuka and Chinecherem Nnamdi who won two gold and one gold in gymnastics and javelin respectively but they did not come with us this year.
“Stephanie contested for Delta State and won two gold but she was stripped of the medals because of double registration, those medals should have come to Anambra but she was a victim of poaching, even though we wrote a consent letter that she should compete for Delta state.
“This is why we are saying that states should develop their athletes and stop relying on other states’ efforts because they have money to throw around,” he said.
Onyedum commended the quality of facilities and the organisation of the festival by Delta state.
He however faulted the initial challenges of power supply in games villages and transport logistics and urged the next hosts to build on the successes and lapses.
Delta led the medals table with 220 gold, 200 Silver and 128 while Bayelsa came second with 132 gold, 115 silver and 90 bronze.
Edo state were third with 78 gold, 94 silver and 167 bronze; Oyo were fourth with 50 gold, 51 silver and 62 bronze and the fifth position was occupied by Lagos which garnered 41 gold, 57 silver and 74 bronze.
