President of the Tug of War Federation, Isaac Osaikhiwu has thumbed up the standard of competition at the just concluded Obi of Owa Tug-of-War National Tourney.
Speaking to The Point, the highly travelled sports technocrat said the tourney was staged to honour the monarch and expressed joy at the large turnout of athletes to the competition.
“I’m glad with the standard of the competition which was aimed at honouring Obi of Owa Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor II (JP), as the monarch clocked 80 years and 59th anniversary on the throne with the special championship. “The event was designed to mark his numerous achievements, especially in promoting peace and development in the highly revered Kingdom in Delta State and Nigeria.
“I want to thank all the athletes who came from different states across the nation and neighbouring West African countries,” Osaikhiwu said.
The event was held at the Owa Model Secondary School Sports Ground, Owa-Ekei Road, Boji-Boji, Owa.
Osaikhiwu further added that the event was not only entertaining but aimed at providing recreational engagement and a platform for fostering friendship and the values of team work for Owa youths and the neighbouring communities, while also giving opportunity for journalists and visitors to appreciate the changing landscape of the kingdom following the wonderful developments that Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a son of the soil, has brought to bear for the whole of Ika people and their neighbours.“For us, it is a very huge, epoch making event. Tug of War as a sport emphasizes team work, the strength of unity and mutual contribution for the achievement of common goal.
“The aforementioned are essential values for the development of any society and this have been wonderfully demonstrated in Owa Kingdom through the convergence of efforts by the traditional and political leaderships,” Osaikhiwu concluded.
