National Sports Festival unity touch arrives Uyo

National Sports Festival unity touch arrives Uyo By Admin The National Sports Festival 2018 Torch arrived Uyo Thursday amid pomp and circumstance. The Torch also known as ‘The Torch of Unity’ was received by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel with the charge on Team Akwa Ibom to emerge the overall winners of the 19th edition of the Festival which was initiated in 1973. The Torch, which arrived from Cross River, will be heading for Rivers State from Akwa Ibom. Speaking in representative capacity of the Governor, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Moses Ekpo, described the Festival Torch as symbolic owing to the significance of the Games which were introduced just three years after the Nigerian Civil War. He used the occasion to reiterate Governor Udom Emmanuel’s commitment to sports development in the State and charged Team Akwa Ibom to be worthy ambassadors of the State by emerging the overall winners of the Festival. In his remarks, Mr. Sunny Obot who represented the Minister of Youth and Sports, while expressing the goodwill of the Minister made a call for the reign of peace in the State and Country. On the chain of State Torch Bearers were Utitofon Nkanta - a former African Track and Field Champion, Bridget Oton - a former African Scrabble Champion, Effiong Asuquo - a former African Boxing Olympian, Catherine Ekuta-Ewa, a former Judo Olympian, Moses Effiong - a former football Olympian and former Paralympians Joseph Mbakara and Unyime Awak. Others are South-South Zonal Sports Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunny Obot, a former Weight-lifting Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and the Acting Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Lawrence Iquaibom, a former Junior Football International, out-gone Permanent Secretary and Board Member of the State Sports Council, Mr. Aniedi Dickson, CAF/FIFA football Match Commissioner and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Mr. Paul Bassey and the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sir Monday Uko. The 19th National Sports Festival tagged ‘Abuja 2018’ will be held from December 6 – 16, in Abuja.