Gov Chukwuma Soludo on Thursday inaugurated a 27-man Main Organising Committee (MOC) for 2024 edition of Anambra State Traders Competition.
The MOC was inaugurated at the Anambra State Market Traders Association (ASMATA) Secretariat, Onitsha.
The committee has Patrick-Estate Onyedum, Chairman of Anambra State Sports Development Commission and Chief Humphrey Anuna, President General of ASMATA as Co-Chairmen with Osita Obijiofor as secretary.
Soludo, who was represented by Evarist Ubah, his Special Advertiser on Trade and Commerce, called on the Anambra traders’ community to ensure they fully take part in the competition.
The events to be featured in the competition are Football, Tennis, Table Tennis, Draught and Ncho/Ayo.
He called on the elderly ones to engage in indoor games and to release their apprentices who were still athletic to take part in football.
The governor said he hoped that this year’s edition would be more competitive as he had doubled the prize money for top performers in the various events.
On his part, Onyedum, Anambra Sports Development Commission Chairman said the competition was in realisation of the fact that traders had a large population of men and women who had interest in sports.
Onyedum said the athletes would compete for glory and money on behalf of their markets while calling on the various market leaders to present their real members to engender social interaction and spirit of sportsmanship among them.
He said traders’ sports competitions would hold from October to the first week of December.
“Mr Governor is passionate about traders; he started this last year and at that final, he promised to make it bigger and better than this, so the winners this time will double the amount they got last year.
Also speaking, Anuna, the President General of ASMATA commended Soludo for his commitment towards the welfare of traders in the state including their physical fitness.
Anuna promised that traders would be fully mobilised for the sporting events and that this year would witness huge improvement over the first edition.
Six subcommittees including,Technical, Administration, Finance/Mobilisation, Venue/Facility/Security, and Media/Publicity Ceremonial/Protocol were also constituted and inaugurated. (NAN)
