Post COVID-19: Ebonyi set to feature male, female soccer teams at Nat’l League

The Ebonyi state government has assured it would feature its newly floated male and female soccer teams in the national league when normalcy returns in the nation’s sporting sector after the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Ebonyi state had no male or female team of its own in any of the cadre of the national league after its erstwhile teams – Ebonyi Angels (male) and Ebonyi Queens (female) were disbanded by the former Chief Martin Elechi’s administration in 2007.

State Commissioner for Youth and Sports development, Hon. Charlse Akpuenika, disclosed this while chronicling the achievements of Governor Engr. David Umahi in the sports sector since 2015, stating that both teams would assuage the yearnings of the teeming football fans in the state.

Akpuenika said the teams were formed with the full support and encouragement of the governor and had met all criteria required for an untainted participation in the national league.

“The teams would play its matches inside the refurbished Pa Ngele Oruta stadium Abakaliki which has already hosted several national league and Federation cup matches and had been certified by the Nigerian Football Federation during a visit led by its Secretary General, Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi.

“It is a known fact that prior to the emergence of the Umahi-led administration, the then Abakaliki Township stadium could only qualify as a ‘mere playground’ but has been turned around by the governor.

“It boasts of standard facilities which include—easily the best Very Important Persons-(VIP) stand in the country, lush greenish pitch, re-modeled terraces and unarguably, the best stadium guest house in the country to accommodate teams and officials, among standard facilities.

“The governor in his avid interest in sports development in the state, has embarked on the construction of an ultra-modern–Olympic-sized stadium which is currently on-going and shall ignite the interest of athletes from the state, country and beyond to leverage, in rising to stardom,” he said.

The commissioner said the state has abundant talents that will use the opportunities provided by the newly-floated teams to showcase their talents and represent the country in national, continental and international competitions.

According to the commissioner, “The governor in his magnanimity, has been consistent in sponsoring the state athletes to major zonal and national competitions such as zonal sports qualifiers, National Youth Games, National Sports Festivals among others.

“The governor’s disposition to sports has propelled the state’s athletes to record tremendous achievements which include: qualification of the state’ football team to represent the south east zone in the postponed 2020 National Sports Festival in Edo state.

“The state’s athletes have won several laurels and recorded enviable placements on the official tables of major sporting events such as taekwondo, basketball, table tennis, cricket among others.”

He noted that the athletes had been duly motivated by the governor which has made them give in their best in various competitions and performed optimally, thereby bringing glory to the state and country.

He said, “The first Ekubaraoha Urban Sports Festival held in 2015, was the test case for the revamping of sports in the state and it featured the nine urban wards in Abakaliki including Izzi-Unuhu.

“The governor was so impressed with the outcome of the competition that he motivated the players and officials who featured in the competition with a cash donation of N6million.

“It was at the final of this landmark event that the governor announced the immediate reconstruction of the then Abakaliki Township stadium which he implemented and it resulted in the present refurbished Pa Ngele Oruta stadium Abakaliki.”

Akpuenika noted that the governor laid the foundation of these successes by approving that the ministry of Youth and Sports, organised the first ever Ebonyi state Sports summit in October 2015, adding, “The summit was organized for stakeholders in the state’s sports business to brain-storm and evolve a road map for an accelerated sports development in the state as its outcome formed the successes that have been recorded in sports till now.

“Several other well organized and successful sports competition came subsequently and they include: The Governor’s cup competition in 2015 for the 13 Local Government Areas of the state which Afikpo South LGA won and the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN GAMES) which featured the five blocks of CAN in 2016.

“The Inter- state Sports competition was held in 2016 which featured indigenous teams of others states residing in Ebonyi, the reviving of the annual school sports competition to discover and nurture budding talents in the state’ schools, David Umahi Tertiary Institutions Games (DUMTIGA) 2018, Governor’s Para-military Games (2018) Divine Mandate Super Cup (2019) among other competitions.”

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