No fewer than fifteen thousand pupils and students in public and private schools in Anambra would participate in the maiden Anambra Sports Solution Initiative, ASSI, school sports festival.
The school sports festival would be the first in the state after about a decade.
Chairman of Anambra Sports Development Commission, Mr. Patrick-Estate Onyedum, who disclosed this in Awka; at an interactive session with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Anambra State chapter, said the competition, which was grouped into Under 13 and Under 17 categories, was open to all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state.
Represented by the Technical Consultant to the Commission, Mr. Oluyomi Sule, the Sports Commission Chairman said cost-free registration for participating schools started from April 28 and would end on May 12, and that registration forms could be obtained at the Sports Commission’s office in Awka, local government area education department offices and from Private School Proprietors Association representatives.
Mr. Onyedum further announced that the event would commence on May 17 with community schools competition through local government area and Senatorial District qualifiers, and end with state finals between June 21 and June 24.
He listed Athletics, Basketball, Chess, Football, Scrabble, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo and Volleyball as competitive sports at the festival, while Cricket would come in as a demonstration game, adding that the grassroot development programme is targeted at every Anambra child, calling on principals and headteachers to ensure that their students and pupils take part in the sports festival.
Mr. Onyedum said participating students stand to get scholarships while the winning schools will get facilities as rewards, and that winners from the sports festival would be selected for Team Anambra contingent to National Youth Games, and also be part of home grown athletes to the next National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
In his remarks, the state Chairman of SWAN, Mr. Anthony Oji, who recalled that the last school sports festival in Anambra was in 2012, commended the commission for its commitment to reinvent sports in Anambra.
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