Anambra State emerged winners of the 2018 Patrick Estate Onyedum U-15 Athletics Championships for the South East region.

The event that was held at the Rojenny Stadium in Anambra State was keenly contested. Justina Onoja was the star of the competition having won five gold medals… 100m, 200m, 400m, high jump and 4x100m relay for the host State. She was rewarded with a new pair of spikes shoes and scholarship by former Nigerian international athlete, Mrs Mary Onyali-Omagbemi.

However, athletics enthusiasts were displeased with the  nonchalant attitude of some of the South Eastern States to the championships, bank rolled by Patrick Estate Onyedum, representing the zone on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

Athletics endowed Enugu and Imo which is only about an hour drive away failed to send their athletes claiming lack of funds. But Anambra, Ebonyi and Abia provided enough spectacle for the watching spectators.

“Our dream is to see that the sport is revived not only in the South East, but the whole of Nigeria.

“We are a great athletics country and it is sad to see so many talents wasting. We have provided a platform for them,” said Hon Onyedum.

Also speaking AFN technical director, Sunday Adeleye urged all athletics stakeholders to replicate Onyedum’s initiative in the respective zones.

“We want to have a pool of talented youth athletes, therefore all the zonal representatives on the board should do something similar, it is not enough to be talking. This is the time for us all to chip in our little bit,”Adeleye said.

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