A huge pass mark has been given the grassroots sports and youth development efforts of Imo State, which has reflected in how they never use over-aged athletes for competitions in the country.
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Sports247 reports that the high scorecard for Imo comes based on the presentation of ‘really young’ athletes by the state during the recent National Youth Games and Niger Delta Games, as they always follow eligibility regulations.
This confirmation was provided by the sports commissioner’s special adviser on media engagement, Mr Greg Okechukwu Nwadike, who stressed that Imo State never engages in age-cheating while presenting athletes for youth competitions because they believe in the ethics of exposing untapped talents.
He further pointed out that Imo State’s commissioner for sports, Honourable Obinna Evaristus Onyeocha (Onowu) is committed to the ideals of youth development from the grassroots and discovering talents from the interior, hence his charge that Imo State must never engage in falsification of athletes’ ages.
The commissioner’s madia aide, who is fondly called ‘GOC,’ told Sports247 in Owerri that Imo State always keeps to the rules because his boss is truly committed to the ideals of picking raw talents from scratch and turning them into future stars for the country as a whole.
“In barely two years of his tenure as commissioner for sports in Imo State, we have seen the commissioner’s impact in grassroots sports and youth development. We have gone to many youth competitions, where we really stand out with our young athletes.
“Imo State does not engage in any form of age-cheating and we always go with the right category of athletes for competitions like the National Youth Games and NDDC Games. We don’t cheat at all.
“We are even hoping to host the next edition of the NDDC Games, because we believe Imo State should have the chance of showing the whole country what we can do in terms of hosting athletes from all over Nigeria,” said G.O.C.
He concluded by revealing the commissioner’s immense efforts in promoting football for both male and female players by ensuring that the state-owned club, Heartland FC, has junior teams for both genders.
“It is during Honourable Onyeocha’s tenure as commissioner of sports in Imo State that we started a football competition for under-13 boys. Many talents have been produced through this competition.
“He has also ensured the formation of an under-15 boys team for Heartland, which is known as Comets and directly under his charge; to operate differently from the feeders’ team.
“He has also ensured that the female squad, Heartland Queens, also have a junior team and he further motivated them by providing a renovated hostel to serve as their camp,” GOC Nwadike concluded.
