Gov Udom excited at Akwa Ibom performance at Youth Games

Th e spectacular feat of 16 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze medals garnered at the just concluded National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara state by Team Akwa Ibom has been commended by Governor Udom Emmanuel. Coming at the heels of the very successful maiden Akwa Ibom Youth Sports Festival in Uyo, Governor Udom, who is the progenitor of the Youth Sports fi esta, said the feat recorded at the games was fruits of his administration’s grassroots sports development.

From fourth position last year to second this year, the State has made remarkable progress and by National Sports Commission statistics, Akwa Ibom is the “greatest mover” this year placing second out of the 34 States and Abuja that participated. A manifestation of the above assertion was the State winning two of the three track events that were reserved for the closing ceremony of the Games last Saturday.

“Akwa Ibom was an all round competitor as their medals came from a variety of sports. Th ey won gold(s) in weightlifting, tennis, boxing, scrabble, chess, track and fi eld, wrestling etc. and were in the fi nals of nearly all the sports.”

Th e State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sir Monday EbongUko while speaking with the media said: “I knew that we were going to do well in Ilorin, but not this well – I am happy that we acted on Governor Emmanuel’s directive that we organize a Youth Sports Festival for Primary Schools and colleges in Akwa Ibom and it threw up a lot of potentials in all the Sports”. Mr. Paul Bassey, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, who was in Ilorin said “…that was one occasion where it felt good to be an AkwaIbomite.”

Th e closing ceremony was instructive. Of the three event medals presented by the Sports Minister, two gold and one silver medal went to Akwa Ibom. “During the Akwa Ibom Youth Sports Festival, graced by the Honourable Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, in March, a lot of budding talents in Primary Schools and Colleges were discovered and tracked and they formed sixty per cent of our contingent to Ilorin.

“Th e revolution is on, thanks to Governor Emmanuel and the Sports Commissioner whom we call “Sports Joseph” for his uncanny translation and implementation of the governor’s sports dreams and aspirations” Bassey said.

 

 

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