Idemili South Team Emerges Winner of 2nd Nonye Soludo Female Volleyball Tournament

By Uche Eke

Idemili South local government Volleyball team has won the 2nd edition of Nonye Soludo Volleyball competition played at the Doctor Alex Ekwueme square Awka.

They defeated Njikoka local government team in a fierce game that thrilled the audience.

The competition initiated by the Wife of the Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo is aimed at discovering budding talents in the Volleyball industry.

Ealier in the day, team Anaocha local government area defeated Aguata Local Government team to clinch the third possition.

Some of the Stakeholders present including Patrick Onyedum, Chairman Anambra state Sports Commission , and

Stephine Nwadinobi from team Idemili South went home as the Best Attacker while Cynthia Uzuegbunam of Njikoka got best setter in the competition.

Chinecherem Nwazupu from team Anaocha was rated the Most Valuable Player, Njikoka local government best behaved team while Aguata went home with best Coach in the ratings.

Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Mrs Soludo while commending both the Cordinators, Players and Officials for an impressive exercise, remarked that the state will continue to encourage and identify raw talents from the grassroots.

Mrs Soludo went further to support the Volleyball industry by presenting 750,000 naira to team Idemili South for winning the 2nd edition of the competition, 500,000 naira to team Njikoka who came second and 250,000 naira to team Anaocha who got the third possition.

The Chairman Anambra state Sports Commission, Patrick Onyedum and the Mayor of Idemili South local government area, Mrs Amaka Obi who spoke through Valentine Mbadugha extolled the resilience spirit of the players noting that the winning female team was as a result of constant training as well as the impact of the Anambra State Sports Development Initiative, ANSSI, a brain child of the Governor towards enhancing the Sports sector.

Head Coach of Anambra State Volleyball team and Cordinator of the Nonye Soludo Volleyball competition, Uche Okafor said a total of 36 matches were played in the games that saw four teams from 4 zones making into the the semi finals.

Coach Uche expressed worry that most of the players who are Indigenes of the state were representing other states in major national competitions and therefore appealed to both the Sports Development Commission and the State Government to make efforts to change the narrative through proper renumerations.

One of the players and On Air Personality, Chiamaka Okeke from Njikoka team and the Captain of the Idemili South team, Favour Ani , thanked the Wife of the Governor for coming up with such laudable initiative to bring to the limelight, Volleyball players in Anambra State.

She, however appealed for more allowances and recognition from the state government to enable them be proud to represent the state during national competitions.