Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 01, 2004.
Nkoyo
Ibori promises more Championships
By Bassey Inyang
Correspondent, Calabar
The Nkoyo Ibori
National sports fiesta will continue to be an annual event as it has helped in
the discovery of budding athletes for Nigeria.
The wife of the Delta State Governor,
and sponsor of the Nkoyo Ibori National Games has stated in Calabar. Declaring the 5th edition of the
championship which has been rechristened 1st Nkoyo Ibori National Games. Mrs Ibori said she is encouraged
to continue the sponsorship of the games because of the glory it has brought to
the country in the field of sports. She was of the view that besides the financial reward which the competition has put in the hands of the young
participants over the years, some talents discovered in the yearly event have
gone ahead to win medals at international
meets for Nigeria. “In this
regard, looking at the past results and performances of the past four editions, the success story tells me that my decision to
continue sponsoring the
competition annually is not misplaced as it has brought out the potentials of
our female athletes and thereby achieved its intended objectives.
“Apart from providing
financial benefits to the participants, the championship has led to the
discovery of such athletes like
Edith Iwundu, long Jump, Patience Okoro, Heptathlon; Gladys Stephen 400m
Hurdles; Olatunde Ounsanya 400m and Queen Ogbemudia 400.
In
addition, Mrs Ibori who is also the president of Special Sports
Federation of Nigeria, expressed joy that the annual event “has brought together people from
different cultural backgrounds.”She used the forum to advice athletes not
to get themselves involved in the use of performance enhancing drugs as the
practice will lead ultimately to the destruction of their career. For those competing in the Nkoyo Ibori
Games, she warned that whoever is caught to have used drugs to enhance his or her performance to victory will be
disqualified and stripped of the title.
Unlike those other
years, this year’s event,for the first time, featured male athletes.
