At least 1, 671 contingents have qualified for the zonal elimination in the ongoing Ebonyi school sports competition.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Onyebuchi Chima, said ths on Friday at a press conference in Abakaliki.
Chima said that school sports are intended to engage the youths and bridge the gap in the efforts to overcome criminality in society.

He expressed joy over the successful completion of the competition at the local government level.
He described sports and education as veritable tools for nation-building, adding that the state government remained committed to youth development.

“Sports and education go together. The competition aims at redirecting the minds of the youth and developing the hidden talents among them for future purposes.

“On security, let me assure you that all hands are on deck to guide and protect the school children during and after the competition.

“Both teachers, government, parents and other experts, who are responsible in taking care of children have roles to play.

“On school resumption on Monday 24, we are assuring the parents that schools are safe for learning,” he said.
Also, the Commissioner for Sports, Mr. Charles Akpuenika, said the essence of the competition was to discover sports talents in the state.

Akpuenika said the zonal elimination, scheduled for between Monday 24 and Wednesday 26, would include Ebonyi North, Central, and South.

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Dr. Richard Nnabu, the Senior Special Adviser on Medical Services to Gov. Dave Umahi, said health personnel was deployed to provide medical assistance, when necessary.

The events include football, badminton, athletics, such as 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, and 1,500 meters.

Others are volleyball, taekwondo, table and lawn tennis, sack race, high and long jump.

The event, tagged “Gov. Dave Umahi School Sports Competition”, took off on May 14 in the 13 local government areas of the state.