By Okechukwu Onuegbu
N15m worth prizes are out to be grabbed as Anambra Sports Solution Initiative (ANSSI) is set to kick off on March 19th across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The programme featuring 11 sporting activities, including athletic, ncho, basketball, chess, cricket, taekwondo, football and others, is in its third edition and runs in collaboration with Anambra State Ministry of Education and 21 LGAs Chairmen.
About 15,000 participants, including males and females from privately, missionary and publicly owned primary and post primary schools, would feature at various age categories such as U-12, U-14 and U-18.
The Chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ANSSDC), Mr Patrick Estate Onyedum, who disclosed this in a press conference held at Awka, noted that the event offers opportunity to develop sports from the grassroots in line with governor Chukwuma Soludo's agenda.
"I make bold to say that within two years of ANSSI, the State is now the cynosure of all eyes as our athletes have performed creditably in National and International competitions. Our ANSSI products are scattered all over the world, including the United States of America, Europe and Asia. In Nigeria here, two of them are enjoying full scholarship from a sports academy in Abuja and one in Lagos.
"Our records at the National Youth Games (NYG) has continued to improve. As at the time ANSSI came on board, the medal haul of the State was not more than 5 gold medals. But as we are sitting here now, we have moved from 7 to 9 gold medals in the last NYG in Asaba. To this end and to maintain the tempo, we have donated sports equipments ( tennis boards, basketball courts, etc to some schools to encourage them," he added.
In their respective contributions, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh and the representative of LGAs Chairmen, Hon. Romanus Ibekwe, who is also the boss of Anaocha LGAs, said they would mobilise material and other resources towards ensuring that the programme was successful.