Student-athletes and sports officers of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (TEAM UNIZIK) have begun preparations for next month’s biggest and most prestigious Inter Universities Sports Games in the land, the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA) Sports Programme.
This year’s edition which is the 26th edition is scheduled to hold from March 16th to 27th, 2022 with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, Lagos State set to host over 40 Universities in the country.
UNIZIK will not be left out in the 11-day sports program for the NUGA games after recording an outstanding performance at the just concluded PRE-NUGA Zone ‘O’ Preliminaries held at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State.
Team UNIZIK has qualified to feature in 10 sporting events namely Athletics (100metres, 200metres, 400metres, 800metres, Discus, Javelin, Long Jump, Shot Put and Triple Jump), Badminton (Male/Female), Chess (Female), Cricket (Male), Judo (Male/Female), Karate (Male/Female), Football (Female), Scrabble (Male/Female), Taekwondo (Male/Female) and Table Tennis (Female).
Chairman of UNIZIK/Vice-Chancellor’s Sports Committee, Dr. Dereck Orji said Team UNIZIK is leaving no stones untouched in her preparations for the NUGA games. “We just returned from the Zonal elimination at the AE-FUNAI where our student-athletes gave a very good account of themselves as ambassadors and talented sportsmen and women by qualifying for the majority of the events we entered for, we are indeed grateful and thank the sports-loving Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, FAS, for his immense support by approving all the requests we brought to his table,” Orji disclosed.
“The NUGA games properly is a month away and I have just held a meeting with the institution’s Director of Sports and other sports officers as regards the mode of preparation towards ensuring that we have a great outing at the upcoming NUGA games scheduled to behold from March 16th to 27th at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State,” Orji stated.
Over the years, NUGA games have produced the likes of ex-Super Eagles veteran goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, Chika Chukwumerije from Taekwondo, Olusoji Fasuba, and Chidi Imo both from Athletics, Olumide Oyedeji from Basketball among others as the Games sought to keep contributing to the development of sports in Nigeria.
Story By Ikenna Nwokedi Ph.D
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