By Okechukwu Onuegbu

Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Tuesday, said his administration would be developing future Olympians and world champions through the 2024 schools sports festivals.

Soludo, who stated this at a press conference heralding the Anambra State School Sports festival tagged “ANSSI 2024", explained that his government was also using sports to fight crimes by engaging the youth and students to effectively utilise their talents for better society.

The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, argued that those already discovered at the first edition of the sporting events have started contesting and winning laurels at national and international sporting events.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ASSDC), Mr Patrick-Estate Onyedum, explained that about 756 primary and secondary schools have indicated interest to participate in the 2024 edition of Anambra State School Sports Festival.

According to him, this year, students would compete in 12 sporting events including Athletics, Basketball, Chess, Football, Scrabble, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleybal, Cricket and Ncho.

"We shall have these games in three categories which are U 12, U-14 and U-18 at the Community, Local Government Area, Senatorial District and State levels. The sports Commission will continue to support them especially in the area of sports infrastructure.

"Already, the preparation for this year's National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State has started and the young and raw talents that will be discovered from this festival will constitute up to 85 percent of Anambra team to that Games.

"In 2023, about 600 primary and secondary schools registered and participated in the sports festival and I want to gladly inform you that, it was not only a success but it has been yielding fruitful results. As I speak to you, some of those athletes are on academic scholarships in some of the best schools in Abuja and Anambra," he noted.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr Patrick Agha-Mbah, explained that sports had been reinvented by the incumbent administration as parts of the governor's effort to produce a liveable and prosperous State.