The Cross River Government has restated its determination to immortalise its indigenous sports heroes, dead or alive, through sustainable sponsorship of competitions in the state.
Orok Duke, the chairman of the State Sports Commission gave the assurance in an interactive session with sportswriters in Calabar, Cross River State; while also using the occasion to unveil a programme for Governor Ben Ayade U-15 Football tournament for Secondary Schools in the state.
He said those slated for immortalization included boxing legend, Hogan Bassey; Oyo Orok Oyo, international sports administrator, and renowned sportswriter, Bassey `Koma’ Ekpo, who would be honoured through competitions organized by the state sports commission.
The Sports Commission chairman said his administration also aimed to re-enact the happy days when students who performed well in sports were offered scholarships to study abroad.
Oyo Orok Oyo, an Etubom, was the first Nigerian member of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). He died on 10 September, 2008, at the age of 86 in Calabar. He was popularly referred to as the ‘father modern Nigerian football. He served for 12 years as Secretary General of the then Nigerian Football Association (NFA) and member of CAF between 1974 and 1998.
Okon Asuquo Bassey (Hogan `Kid’ Bassey) was the World Featherweight Boxing champion in 1957. He remained the youngest boxer to win the national flyweight title in 1950, at the age of 18, while still in secondary school. Bassey was conferred with the Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1958 and Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) in 1979.
The Cross River Sports Commission boss, Orok Duke also said that Edidiong Ofonime Odiong, a former Nigerian junior champion in the 400-metres in 2013, now running for Bahrain, would also be honoured. Odiong won gold in 200-metres for Bahrain, her adopted country, in the IAAF World U-20 Championships in Poland, when she was 19 years old.
Offiong Edem, another Cross River sports star, is a living female tennis legend; while John Okon Ene, the late Nigerian international male football midfielder, would all be honoured through tournaments organized by the state sports commission.
No fewer than 254 secondary schools have registered to participate in the U-15 tournament, set to begin on March 6 across the 18 local government areas, in the three senatorial districts of the state. The opening match for schools in the Calabar Municipality would kick off at the U.J. Esuene Stadium on March 6. The essence is to engage the youths and foster peace. Adequate arrangements would be made for participants, Duke assured.
The grand finale of the tournament would involve six schools at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, between March 28 and March 31 this year.
According to Ekanem Ekpenyong, a commissioner in the state Sports Commission, there would be N10,000 each for the Best Defender, Best Midfielder, and Highest Goal scorer, respectively, in the competition.
