Daily Independent Online.
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Wednesday, June 30, 2004.
Athletes storm Calabar for Nkoyo Ibori National Games
By Pius Anakali
Senior
Correspondent,
Lagos
Athletes drawn from
across the country have started arriving for this year’s edition of the
annual Nkoyo Ibori National Games billed to kick of tomorrow at the U. J Esuene
Stadium in Calabar.
The two-day
championship open to Under-20
athletes male and female and Specials Sports is the fifth in the series of the
championship. Participants who started trooping into the Cross River state
capital on Sunday afternoon say they are ready for the championship.
Speaking to Daily
Independent in Lagos over the weekend, Commonwealth Gold medallist,
Ikechukwu Amarakwo assured that as Number one in her weight category in the
world (90kg), she would surely come out top in Calabar, saying the two-day
championship is just a tune-up event for the coming training tour and Athens
Olympics.
According to her
“ the Calabar event is just
another opportunity to compete. As the number one in my category, I have
nothing to fear, because this is just
an opportunity to keep in shape”.
Ikechukwu who
picked the highest prized medal in Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games said the
competition couldn’t have come at a time better than this.
On her part,
Kikelomo Ogunbanwo who won a Bronze medal in 75kg-powerlifting in last
year’s All Africa Games says she is not afraid of anybody, adding that
she is going to Calabar to do the usual.
The Olympic
para-lympic Bronze medallist however says her only worry is injury, which she
says is every other person’s concern.
Meanwhile,
arrangement has been concluded to accommodate athletes, officials who started
arriving the venue of the competition yesterday.
Already, the U J
Euene Stadium is wearing a new look in preparation for the festival.
