All is now set for the Zonal Elimination of the 5th edition of the National Youth Games as athletes and officials drawn from the five states of the South-East Geopolitical Zone will converge in the state capital of Awka from Thursday, 15th August to Sunday, 18th August 2019 for the four-day sporting programme which serves as a qualifier for the upcoming National Youth Games to be hosted by the University of Ilorin, Kwara State later in the year.
The Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ANSDC) under the vibrant and hardworking Chairman, Tony Oli, has concluded plans to ensure that the four-day sporting programme would be hitch-free and recorded as a success in the annals of sports history in the state, with necessary support and approval by the Executive Governor of the State, His Excellency Chief Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano. It is expected that about two thousand officials and athletes from the five states of the zone will grace the occasion which will be hosted for the first time by the state.
According to information made available to our sports desk by a Director in the Commission, Madam Faith Okwonna, seven-team sporting events comprising of football, beach volleyball, cricket, hockey, basketball, volleyball and handball will be competed for by the athletes. The venues have been prepared and in top shape for the team events. Nnamdi Azikiwe University’s Bakassi Sports complex and the Coke Centre will play host to HOCKEY, BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL and HANDBALL. The game of CRICKET will take centre stage at the Comprehensive Secondary School Nawfia playground while FOOTBALL and BEACH VOLLEYBALL will take place at the Tansi International College Okpuno.
Athletes and officials for the four-day programme will be accommodated and camped at the Bishop Obiefuna Retreat Centre Okpuno and Tansi International College Okpuno for the female and male respectively. The programme schedule will see officials and athletes arriving on Thursday, the 15th of August which will be followed by accreditation and screening, with hostilities kicking into shape on Friday, 16th August and concluding on Sunday, 18th August 2019.
