BY GODWIN PAUL SUNDAY
As the 2024 edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF) tagged Ogun 2024 kicks off in full gear, the Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Honourable Obinna Onyeocha, has expressed strong optimism about Team Imo’s performance, assuring citizens of the state that a haul of medals is on the way, The Statesman Newspaper reports.
Onyeocha, speaking during an update from the games’ venue in Ogun State, praised the early strides of Team Imo in various disciplines and attributed the promising performance to the unwavering support from the State Government.
“This is just the preliminary stage, and I think we are doing wonderfully well,” Onyeocha said. “Looking at the various sports we are participating in – in football, we won; we won in basketball against the host state, hockey won, and also boxing. So far, so good. I’m very sure we will achieve a lot of medals.”
The Commissioner specifically hailed the efforts of Governor Hope Uzodimma, describing him as a sports-loving leader who has provided the team with the necessary support to excel at the national event.
“The motivation behind this outing for me is the Imo State Governor. So I want to thank His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, for giving us full support. I can say that the mobilisation is superb,” he stated.
Onyeocha affirmed that with the administrative groundwork in place, the focus now rests on the athletes to deliver.
“Arguably, we have done our part. The rest is now in the hands of the athletes,” he said.
To Imolites at home, the Commissioner delivered a message of confidence and reassurance.
“My message to the people of Imo back home is that they should relax and be assured that we are coming home with a lot of medals. The game has just started, and we haven’t lost a match yet. I’m very optimistic we will come home with gold medals. We have won here and there, and we will continue with that pace till the end of the program,” he concluded.
The National Sports Festival, often dubbed Nigeria’s ‘mini-Olympics,’ brings together athletes from all states of the federation in a multi-sport competition aimed at fostering unity, talent discovery, and sports development. With Team Imo already showing early signs of promise, expectations are high as the competition unfolds in the days ahead.
