Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Nsukka Educational Zone has emerged overall champions of the Governor Peter Mbah Secondary School Sports Festival held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The competition, organised by the state Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in collaboration with the Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB), was aimed at preparing and selecting athletes for the forthcoming National Youth Games scheduled for Asaba, Delta State.
The championship featured six educational zones of the state: Agbani, Awgu, Enugu, Nsukka, Obollo Afor, and Udi.
At the end of the four-day event, Nsukka Zone topped the medals table with a total of 36 medals — 14 gold, 12 silver, and 10 bronze — and received ₦1 million and a giant trophy.
Udi Zone came a distant second with 19 medals (eight gold, seven silver, and four bronze) and was rewarded with ₦500,000.
Awgu Zone placed third with five gold, 10 silver, and five bronze medals, going home with ₦300,000.
Other zones — Enugu, Agbani, and Obollo Afor — finished in 4th, 5th, and 6th positions respectively.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Lloyd Ekweremmadu, described the festival as an opportunity to discover budding talents who could represent the state in major championships.
According to him, the competition would remain a continuous process for athlete development and excellence.
He assured that the state government would build on the successes of the event to give talented youths more opportunities to showcase their skills, and reaffirmed Enugu’s readiness for the forthcoming National Youth Games in Asaba.
