.Anambra, Abia pick NSF tickets too
Team Imo has emerged victorious at the just ended National Sports Festival Zonal Elimination held at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
Imo athletes qualified for all the six sporting events they registered for including Football, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Basketball, Handball where they picked the male and female tickets in the listed five categories while Team Imo also qualified for the female category of Hockey.
Imo male and female were impressive in the basketball event where they beat all their opponents while they also excelled in the football event where they Abia (2-1) and Anambra (3-1) in the male and female cadre.
Other South East states tried their best too with Anambra qualifying for the football (female), Volleyball (male and female, Beach Volleyball (male and female), Handball (male), and Basketball( Male).
Abia state picked football (Male), Handball (Female), Basketball(Female), and Hockey (Male) while Ebonyi State could not have any podium finish despite taking part in Volleyball and Basketball.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Honourable Dan Chike Ogu thumbed up the impressive performance of Team Imo and assured them of early preparations to ensure the state perform better than they did last year in Benin City.
He said Imo athletes have displayed uncommon zeal and love for their state to push for a fantastic performance and that the Imo Government under Senator Hope Uzodinma would ensure they have a very good build up to the competition in Asaba, Delta State.
“We really commend what you have done and are looking forward for more at the National Sports Festival. You have exhibited the can do spirits of every Imo person and we want you to make it special at the National Sports Festival in Delta State next month,” Ogu told our correspondent.
“We want to appreciate the good gesture of Governor Hope Uzodinma who has provided the enabling environment to make sports thrive in the state. We can make it special by going to Delta and performing very well also.”
Imo State contingent finished in the 10th position at the 2020 National Sports Festival held in Benin City, Edo State with 10 Gold, 13 Silver and 26 Bronze medals amounting to mammoth 49 medals.
