Nkoyo wants more athletes for merrier Meet

"The fewer, the merrier," could be the philosophical slogan of some people, but to Her Excellency, Mrs Nkoyo Ibori, you coud tell that to the Marine. For as it were, as far as her National Under-20 Athletics Championships are concerned according to Harrison Ocholor, the Delta State First Lady's Personal Assistant, (Sports) ''it is the more, the merrier.''

"What is the joy in the sponsorship of a national competition,with searching, identifying and developing the youths, in readiness to fly the country's flag at international championships in the future, as parts of its cardinal aims and objectives, if the Attendance Register, is scanty? This is the bottomline of madam's ceaseless calls on all States of the Federation to make sure that, they attend the Championship.

"You will agree with me that, there is no fun in gathering athletes just from a few States in Calabar, and tag the Championship 'National U-20 Athletics Championships.' It is when the attendance swells and you find athletes from all the States, that the sponsor would be excited and farther be encouraged to do more. It is then that, the whole event becomes really exciting and highly competitive...it is not a question of having competitors from perhaps, 10 or even 15 states and you claim to have bankrolled a national sports fiesta.

''No, that is not it. All the fast feet in the respective events, who are within the age brackets, must be present...it should not be a matter of " Athlete A for instance, was absent and that was why, Athlete B won situation. All feet must be on the track, so you can see that, ''it's a case of the more, the merrier." Ocholor concluded logically.

The Nkoyo Ibori National Under-20 Athletics Championships, the 6th in the series, is billed to get off the blocs, on June 27 -29, 2005 at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. The events on stage include; 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, 4+100m hurdles, 4+400m hurdles and the Long Jump. The Delta State Governor's wife, will be there on hand to recieve and welcome all the participants and officials, nigeriasports.com gathered.