From Igidi Blessing
National Sports Festival (NSF) is a biennial multi-sports fiesta that showcase many games including traditional ones. It was first held in 1973 as a soft power tool by Federal Government through the National Sports Council to promote peace and national affiliations in Nigeria after the country’s civil war which end in 1970.
In preparation for the 2025 edition of the festival, Athletes and Coaches in Ebonyi State have expressed readiness to clinch at least twenty medals at the competition.
Interacting with the press on the readiness of the State athletes few days to the opening ceremony in Abeokuta Ogun State, a fifty Kilogram female armature wrestler Esther Anya said they are ready and willing to depart for the game to do the State proud.
According to Anya, after experiment of the contingent capacity in different games a twenty medals target is their set target in the competition.
Corroborating her a takwandeo star Uguru Chib Nwanne boast that the consistence training for weeks now had further expose them to high level fitness and reposition them for possible wins. The state Festival Football team are also highly involve in training for a successful outing.
Similarly the Field Officer Nigeria Cricket Federation, Ugwu Jephta Oko who is taking the state Female Cricket team to the festival declares that the team is on it’s best form ahead of the fiesta. Oko noted that the National Female team player, Lillian Ude who recently emerged the world best cricket female player at the junior level in Malaysia is also part of the Ebonyi Cricket team and will boost the confidence of other players to excel in the showpiece.
Chairman Forum of Coaches in the State, Peter Ugwu commended the progress so far recorded on fitness and determination for success among the athletes in the camp.
Ugwu who is a wrestling Coach tasks the athletes to utilize this opportunity diligently as it’s can either mark their success in their perceive game fields or diminish their ambition to excel.
Director of Sports in Ebonyi state, Emma Utobo had earlier announce that the state contingent are focusing on eleven games where the state had comparative advantage to excel.
The games according to Utobo includes, Wrestling, Basket ball female, cricket, athletics, football male and takwandeo.
He is optimistic that the contingent will win many medals for the state in the National Sports Festival due to high level preparations.