by crossriverwatch admin
Primary and secondary school athletes in Cross River State are to be provided with sporting canvass, jerseys and other kits in the next edition of the Primary and Secondary Schools Championship.
Mr. Efiok Cobham, the state deputy governor said this while speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2013 Primary/Secondary Schools Athletics and Swimming Championship which ended in Calabar at the weekend.
The Deputy Governor who represented his boss, Senator Liyel Imoke said “No child in this state should be running on bare foot because they are the future hope of the state in sporting competitions nationally and internationally”.
The contingent from Calabar Municipality emerged winners in Athletics in the secondary schools category with 11 gold, 6 silver and 9 bronze medals, while their counterparts from Ikom won 9 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals while Akpabuyo won 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 11 Bronze medals to pick the 2nd and 3rd slots respectively in that category.
In the Primary category Team Ikom won 8 Gold, 7 Silver and 2 Bronze medals to come 1st while Yala and Akpabuyo contingents won 5 Gold, 6 Silver and 2 Bronze medals and 5 Gold, 3 Silver and 6 Bronze medals to win the 2nd and 3rd slots respectively.
The Obubra contingent came 1st with 17 Gold, 7 Silver and 7 Bronze medals in the primary school’s category while in the secondary category; it carted home 5 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medal totalling 22 Gold, 8 Silver and 8 Bronze medals.
While declaring the championship closed on behalf of the governor, Mr. Cobham lauded the performance of the youths and commended the organizers and all the Local Government Chairmen for a job well done.
Crossriverwatch observed that most of the athletes ran barefooted in the championship and Mr. Efiok Cobham said this was not acceptable and assured the athletes that they will be well kited in next the edition.
He particularly commended Yala and Ikom for excelling despite the fact that they have no stadium expressing the hope that by the time government complete work on the stadium in Ikom and Yala they will do better.
Commenting on the performance of the Obubra contingent in Swimming, a Swimming Coach with the State, Mr. Moses Agbor, predicted that the state will dominate Nigeria’s swimming competitions following Obubra contingent’s performance at the swimming event of the championship.
Agbor said that the Obubra contingent had been dominating in swimming since the championship began in 2010 and would lead the state’s assault on Nigeria’s swimming competitions in the near future.
He attributed the success of Team Obubra at the state’s swimming championship to the enabling environment provided at the Local Government and by sports administrators in Cross River.
He said, “These youths reside by the River bank in Obubra and the water there is helpful because some us were discovered there in the 70s and parents encouraged their youngsters to take to the water early.
“There is no doubt that these youths regard some of us as role models in the sport and are trying on their own to sustain the leadership”.
Contingents from the 18 council areas participated in the competition organized in line with the state’s Comprehensive Sports Development program.
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