From Nsisong Morgan, Akwa Ibom
Eight athletes from Akwa-Ibom State will be participating the third African Youth Games taking place in Algeria .
This was communicated to the state after eight weeks of camping ahead of the games which these athletes discovered during the first and second edition of Akwa Ibom Youth sports festival were invited.
Also headed to Algeria is the state’s head of coaches,Catherine Ewa who will be tutoring judokas selected from across the country.
The eight athletes from Akwa-Ibom state will be representing Nigeria in Cycling, Taekwando, Judo, Weightlifting, Track and field and Boxing in which they have promised to do Nigeria proud by winning medals in their respective sports.
Boxing got the highest number of athletes as the state produced three athletes while the remaining five sports got an athlete each.
Athletes from Akwa Ibom state representing Nigeria in Algeria are; Samuel Mary Sunday – cycling, Daniel Mfon Asuquo – Taekwando, Effiong Docas – Judo, Edidiong Umofia – Weightlifting, Esther Okon – Track and field, Aniekebo Innocent – Boxing, Etukeren Ezekiel – Boxing, Bright Okon – Boxing.
Reacting to the development, the Akwa Ibom state Director of Sports, who spoke to Front line News Online, Coach Lawrence Iquaibom, said the number of athletes from Akwa Ibom state is a clear indication that the annual Akwa Ibom state Youth Sports festival is beginning to yield positive results both for the individual athletes, Akwa-Ibom State and Nigeria.
He explained that during the 1st and 2nd editions of African Youth games held in Rabat – Morocco and Gaborone – Botswana in 2010 and 2014 respectively, no athlete from Akwa -Ibom state was invited.
Iquaibom, commended the commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Monday Ebong Uko, for effective interpretation of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s vision of making Akwa Ibom state the sports capital of Nigeria, expressing optimism that all the eight athletes and coach from Akwa-Ibom state will win medals for Nigeria at the Games.
It would be recalled that Theresa Okon and Edidiong Umofia, both weightlifters just returned from Cairo – Egypt where they represented Nigeria.
Bright Okon and Aniekebo Innocent both Boxers also represented Nigeria in Casablanca, Morocco.
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