Ekiti Eyes Best 10 Finish

Ekiti state director of sports,Benjamin Adewumi, says the state is targeting to finish among  the first ten states at the end of the 17th national sports festival.

Ekiti came 16th at the 16th edition of the festival held in Kaduna in 2009.

The state came with 118 athletes and officials to the 17th National Sports Festival tagged the Garden City Games.

He told correspondent in Port Harcourt yesterday that already,the state had won a bronze medal in Kung-Fu at the on-going sports festival.

He said the state would take part in 15 of the 26 games at the festival.

They are athletics, boxing,chess,kung-fu,weightlifting, karate,golf,tablen tennis,tennis,traditional sports and special sports

‘’ These are our areas of strength and we intend to get our medals from these games”, he said.

Adewumi said the state was targeting to improve on its last outing in the on-going  National Sports Festival.

“By the grace of God, we are planning to be within the tenth position.

“ We want to be within the first ten and God will grant that prayer because  we are working hard .

“The state government has been very supportive. They gave us money for camping and they gave us money for this festival itself and the money was released on time . So, we have no excuse and by the grace of God ,we are going to do well.

“We want to say that we thank all  our people at home for their support . As at yesterday, we won a medal and it was the first day of competition’,’ he said.

The director said Ekiti came to the festival with a compact team,made up of young athletes,discovered ,nurtured and groomed  at home.

He expressed confidence that the athletes would do the state proud having began the festival on a good note with a medal on the first day of competition.