GOV OBIANO REWARDS ANAMBRA CONTINGENT FOR PERFORMANCE AT EDO 2020
Reporter : ONYINYE CHIJOBI
Anambra State Government has given cash award of one million Naira to each of the athletes that won gold medal at the recently concluded National Sports Festival held in Benin city, Edo State.
The sports fiesta was tagged EDO 2020
Also five hundred thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand naira were given to each silver and bronze medalists.
Governor Willie Obiano while presenting the cheques to the thirty-seven medalists in Aguleri, commended the athletes for making the state proud during the sports fiesta.
Governor Obiano extolled the sports spirit of the athletes exhibited, especially the ten year old gymnast gold medalist, Miss Stephanie Onusiriuka, and Mr. Chinecherem Nnamdi who broke national record in javelin.
The Governor, who said that he would not relent in investing in the sport sector, urged all the athletes that represented the state to keep practicing to enable them to represent the state and country in national competitions.
The Chairman Anambra State Sports Development Commission, Mr. Tony Oli, who led the delegation to the Edo 2020, said that athletes won six gold, nine silver and twenty-two bronze medals.
Mr. Oli explained that some of the state athletes had received call up to the national team to represent the country at the Olympics.
He explained that the Governor stood by them throughout the National Sports Festival, which made the sports men and women re-write the history of sports in the state.
The Sports Director used the opportunity to announce that the state male and female volleyball team won the South East Volleyball competition last week.
Mr. Oli mentioned some of the plans the sports sector has in 2021.
They include staging under 17 league at the Awka Township Stadium, competition for academy among others.
In an interview, the ten year old gold medalist, Stephanie Onusiriuka, called for support to achieve her dream of participating in the Olympics.
She told Radio Nigeria that she was excited about winning a gold medal in Aerobics, a silver medal in Floor and Best-All-Round category and a bronze medal on Beam exercise.
Radio Nigeria gathered that the the Governor also gave a cheque of one million niara to the best coach.
He further gave between five hundred thousand naira and one hundred thousand naira to other coaches, depending on their performances.