Port Harcourt victorious, gold medallists get N20m university scholarships

With five gold medals, four silver and two bronze, Port Harcourt Local Council have emerged the champions of the maiden Go Round Rivers State Secondary Schools Athletics Championships, which ended on Thursday at the Adokie Aimiesimaka Stadium.

Students from secondary schools in the state’s 23 councils competed for honours in nine events, including 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 4 x 100m, 4 x 400m, long jump, high jump and triple jump.

Okrika Local Council with three gold and one silver medals came second, while Ahoada West took the third position with two gold, one silver and no bronze medal.

Akukutoru with two gold and two bronze medals came fourth, while Degema finished fifth with two gold and one bronze medals. Gokana, Ikwerre, Andoni, Bonny and Ahoada East LGAs finished sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth respectively on the medals table.

Seven LGAs, including Abua/Odual, Emohua, Etche, Omuma, Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo and Tai all competed but did not get on the medals table.

At the end of the competition, Akwa-Ibom born Godgift Wealth of Port Harcourt City Council was named the overall best athlete in the female category. She won three gold medals in 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m to set her Council en route to being overall champions.

In the male category, Okrika Council’s Gershon Omubo, who claimed gold medals in both 100 and 200m in the male category, emerged as the overall best.

Both male and female awards were donated by former international footballer, Adokiye Amiesimaka.

Omuma Council’s Daberechi Nwenke won the most disciplined athlete award, an award donated by the National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Seidu Abubakar.

There were also modest cash prizes for excelling individuals, with N50, 000 each going to winners of boys and girls’ 100m, boys and girls’ 4 x 100m relays while the overall best Local Government (PHALGA) were rewarded with a gigantic trophy and N2million naira only.

During the closing ceremony of the championships, the sole financier of the event, Bro Felix Obuah, announced an agreement reached by the organisers and the University of Port Harcourt to give automatic scholarships to the overall best athletes (male and female) in the tournament.