The Excellent Performance of team Imo at the just concluded national Sports festival in Edo state has been attributed to the commitment of the Imo State commissioner of Youth and Sports development, Hon Dan Chika Ogu.
Ogu ensured that the welfare of Team Imo athletes and officials at the games was accorded top priority which motivated them to give their bests in their different individual and team events.
This singular gesture also goes to confirm that not only that Imo State is not short in talents but as well has the administrative acumen to drive the sporting talents to achieve glory for the state.
Having realised that their welfare is the number one priority of the commissioner, the athletes and their coaches decided to put in more effort which led to the team finishing as the best in the South East and 10th on the overall medals table.
This is, no doubt, the best position the Heartland state has attained in the last three editions of the National Sports Festival.
This also indicates that the Youth and Sports commissioner may have been under specific instruction by the state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who provided what was needed for the athletes to excel at the Games.
According to one of the athletes at the games, the commissioner made sure that they received what was provided for them by the state government which was a complete departure from the past when they would have to struggle for their allowances till the end of the Games which makes it difficult for them team to concentrate to deliver the needed medals to the state.
It is instructive to note that Team Imo won ten gold medals,13 silver and twenty six bronze with a total of fourth nine medals at the concluded National Sports Festival in Benin, Edo State, contrary to the situation in the past three sports festivals.
This is the highest medal haul by any state from the south east at the games. Interestingly, Team Imo’s Loveline Obiji set a new World record at the two week competition.
However, the tuning point for Team Imo at the NSF began at home when the Okigwe born administrator brought his administrative ideas to bear by appealing to the athletes to depart for the games after they had earlier refused to travel as a result of poor arrangement by their handlers.
Commissioner Ogu made sure that cycling, Volleyball and Abula athletes who were earlier dropped were reinstated into the Team Imo contingent.
This paid off handsomely as they won gold, silver and bronze medals respectively for Team Imo.
With this experience the commissioner and his team is expected to do much better at the next next edition of the National Sports Festival slated for Delta State in 2022.