The Chairman of Anambra State Sports Development Commission Honourable Patrick Onyedum has assured of accelerated sports development under the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Honourable Onyedum while speaking in Awka, said the Governor had broken new grounds in all sectors including sports under one year.
According to Honourable Onyedum, Governor Soludo demonstrated his love for sports through prompt release of funds to sponsor two hundred and forty nine-man contingent to the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta State in spite of the lean financial resources available and the team took part in twenty one events and won a total of thirty nine medals including six gold, nine silver, and twenty four bronze medals, a record he described as the best in the state’s history at the Festival, while a member of the team, Ujunwa Nwankwo, a female Karate fighter got an invitation to represent Nigeria at an international championship in Canada in April this year.
He said Anambra State also took part in the National School Sports Athletics trials in Abeokuta, Ogun State where sixteen year old Fiaku Ezechukwuchiri emerged champion of the High jump event and qualified to participate at the World School Athletics Championship later this year and expressed confidence that Anambra State would soon become a viable sporting arena with the development of Anambra State Sports Solution Initiative, ASSI, as the Special Purpose Vehicle for driving sports in the state with robust private sector involvement.
Honourable Onyedum disclosed that the Sports Commission had signed a sports financing partnership deal with Bruyneel & Winston, a consulting firm to implement sports development programmes under ASSI for four years in line with Governor Soludo’s desire to encourage private sector involvement in sports while the State Government had given consent to Onitsha Business School, organisers of Onitsha City Marathon to stage the second edition of marathon later this year.
He assured that sports Infrastructure will also get attention as plans were already underway to develop the Park B section of Awka Township Stadium, upgrade of Ekwulobia Township Stadium and siting of facility in each of the three Senatorial Districts and explained that the progress made so far was because Governor Soludo gave his political support to sports to see the sector develop in terms of business and empowerment for youths.
The Sports Development Commission Chairman called on youths in Anambra State to participate actively in sports as the Governor Soludo administration promises to provide the environment for them to take their talents to the world stage.
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