By Ntiense Williams "Mr. Rugby"
The Akwa Ibom State Female team surprisingly qualified from the toughest South-South Regional elimination and miraculously got a waiver last minute through the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee Rt.Hon.Comrade Philip Shaibu at the Festival surprised everyone when they managed to win 2 Bronze medals at the just concluded Female Rugby event at the 20th National Sports Festival on their first outing.
This can only by the handiwork of God which the state displayed in all their dressing for the Festival tagged “ONLY GOD”
The project develops Rugby in Akwa Ibom which was put together with the assistance of “Mr. Rugby” Obong Ntiense Williams and Coached by Usman James from Kaduna saw the diminutive girls defeat giants to get some medals on their first-ever National Sports Festival participation.
Akwa Ibom’s impressive performance saw them win 4 games drew 1 and lost 4 out of 9 matches played in the 3 categories of 7’s, 10’s, and 15’s version of the game. Being a round-robin event, they played with every team that participated and were adjudged as the giant killers of the championship.
There is a very bright future for this very young team.
We sincerely thank the former Director of Sports of Akwa Ibom Mr. Lawrence Iquaibom who initiated the project and the Honourable Commissioner for Sports Sir Monday Ebong Uko who believed and endorsed it. Also, we thank the present Director of Sports Elder Ifiok Duff alongside the Head of Coaching Mrs. Kate Ewa who encouraged the team throughout this program to date.
We look forward to the formal launch of the beautiful game of Rugby in Akwa Abisi Ibom State soonest.
