•  Golf kitty holds as Cultural Expo fever spreads in Uyo

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Akwa Ibom State’s quarter-miler, Victor Imeh Sampson, ran 46.12secs to win the gold in the men’s 400m event of the ongoing Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo yesterday.

The Akwa Ibom champion was chased to the finish line by David Akhalu who took the silver medal in 46.58secs while Cross River State’s Wisdom Alexander settled for the bronze in 47.57secs.

In the women’s version of the 400m, Delta State athlete, Ngozi Okereke Treasure won the gold in 52.70secs while Odot Effiong(53.80) of Akwa Ibom and Sunny Miracle (54.10) of Rivers State settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.

In women’s Table Tennis double event, Cross River took the gold while Bayelsa and Delta pick the silver and bronze.

Meanwhile, Managing Consultant of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, teed off the Golf Kitty organised in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

This is even as the organisers rev up preparations for the Cultural Expo with the stage being rigged and rehearsals commenced.

Held at the Ibom Golf and Country Club on Saturday morning, on the sidelines of the sports competitions, the event is part of the community engagement activities of the festival to foster social networking.

Over 130 golfers were in the kitty with members of the Main and Local Organising Committees of the Niger Delta Sports Festival in attendance.

“The NDSF project sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was designed to achieve multipurpose objectives of discovering and nurturing athletes, foster regional integration and engaging our host community.

“We have also provided opportunity for games demonstration towards bringing them in when the next edition holds. Cricket and Rugby are such games and we will keep redesigning the festival concept to accommodate more sports”, Ikpokpo told journalists at the event.

The festival also incorporated a Cultural Expo that will hold on April 7 and a number of upcoming entertainers from the nine mandate states will be on parade for comedy, music and masters of ceremony.

Edi Lawani, the country’s leading entertainment impresario said the Cultural Expo is a community engagement platform to provide the people of Akwa Ibom State, the festival community and tourists a time to wind down.

“Over 40 artistes will be on parade as we provide music, comedy, dance and food court for everyone in Uyo to feel the sports festival atmosphere outside the competition venues and make new social and business friends”, the thickly Lawani said donning his trademark shorts and backpack.