Anambra State has declared its athletes primed and ready for the 22nd National Sports Festival — Gateway Games 2025, currently underway in Ogun State, with strong confidence expressed in the contingent’s preparedness and potential.
During an exclusive chat with Prime Sports Radio and Athletic NG at the opening ceremony in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the Anambra State Sports Development Commission (ASDC), Patrick Estate Onyedum, described the team as one of the most promising Anambra has ever assembled.
“Ogun 2024 didn’t take us by surprise. It was postponed from last year to January, so we took the opportunity to solidify our preparations,” Onyedum said.
“We’ve made solid progress. Our athletes are young; some have grown from the last Youth Games, and we used performance data to handpick the best of them. I won’t be surprised at what we achieve — just wait for us in Enugu 2026.”
Mr Onyedum, a former athlete, was appointed in 2022 as the second substantive chairman of the ASDC, succeeding Tony Oli, whose four-year tenure came to an end. Since taking office, Onyedum has prioritised grassroots development and data-driven talent identification as the pillars of the state’s sporting success.
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A cornerstone of that strategy is the Anambra Sports Solution Initiative (ANSSI) — a flagship programme aligned with Governor Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s development manifesto.
“ANSSI was born out of a shared vision — the Governor’s pledge to develop sports from the grassroots, and my own journey as a product of school sports,” he said.
ANSSI is a state-wide school sports competition involving primary and post-primary schools, spanning public, private, federal, and mission institutions, with age categories including U-12, U-14, and U-18.
“When ANSSI came on board, Anambra’s medal count at national events was not more than five gold medals,” Onyedum explained. “But at the last National Youth Games in Asaba, we moved from seven to nine gold medals. That’s clear, measurable progress — and it’s only the beginning.”
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He stressed that most of the athletes representing Anambra at the Gateway Games were selected through the ANSSI framework, using performance data and development tracking to ensure merit-based inclusion.
Onyedum also highlighted the consistent political and institutional backing from Governor Soludo, calling it critical to the programme’s success.
“Governor Soludo has given full support to the sports sector. He understands that development starts at the grassroots, and ANSSI is proof of what that vision can deliver. His backing has been unwavering — policy, resources, and motivation.”
