Cross River Floats 43 Sports Competitions
The Chairman of Cross River State Sports Commission in Cross River State, Etuekong Orok Otu Duke, has disclosed that the state will float 43 sporting competitions and the competitions included traditional and other sports that had since been forgotten in the state and country.
Speaking with our correspondent in Calabar, Duke said that the commission which was inaugurated in March 2016 has achieved a lot, “We were effective inaugurated in March 2016, legally the provision that established us has placed the running of sports on the sports commission and we have taken over”
“Completion of our facilities will need a lot of money, engagement in other sports competition will bring a lot of money and we have gone far into the field to solicit for assistance to help sports in the state. We are running 43 sports here in the commission and government cannot do that alone”
He said the commission had secured some companies that are willing to sponsored Taekwondo and primary and secondary school table tennis competitions, “We have a company that had decided to sponsor two competitions at once, Taekwondo and primary and secondary school table tennis competition”
He further explained that Taekwondo is open for everybody including people from other states and the commission has put in place arrangement on basket ball, two underage for girls and boys and one for adult (three tournaments at once)
“We are going have Etubom Charles Ekpo Duke underage grassroots lawn tennis and Ben Ayade under 15 football championships. That competition will take up by March 2017. We have line up sports completion that will last from January to June as we speak Royal and other companies are to take two of the line-up competitions”
“We have registered a new team, Prof Ben Ayade United football club to secure Division two in the National league” and displaced registration certificate adding that Akwa Ibom state has 4 team and the state was planning to have more teams in the National league competition.
“When we came on board, we saw Etisalatt that brought in a set of Jerseys and did not mention price tag apart from the N5, 000 for the winner, nothing for runners up or third position. We were discontented but even as small as that, there was much enthusiasm we will do more to bring in more sponsors”
