By Eric Ojo
Community Secondary Commercial School (C.S.C.S) Ibiaku Itam has emerged winner of the first edition of the Akwa Ibom Netball Challenge.
With the victory, the pace-setting community secondary commercial school has extended its recent dominance of secondary school sports in the state to the game of netball.
The first Akwa Ibom Netball Challenge was held at the outdoor multi-purpose court of West Itam Secondary School, Itam in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
Nine secondary schools which include C.S.C.S. Ikot Ekpeyak, C.S.C.S. Ikot Okubo, Ndikpo Grammar School, State College Ikot Ekpene, C. S. S. Ikot Akpa Etok Ibesikpo, West Itam Secondary School. C.S.C.S. Ikot Ekpeyak, C. S. C. S. Ibiaku Itam, and Offot Ukwa secondary School Uyo) took part in the competition
The two-day event was coordinated by Dr Grace Ataha and powered by Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative.
The event was held as part of CSED Initiative “Project 2027” netball grassroots development programme, which aim to bring netball to the attention of one million female students in Nigeria, before the end of 2027.
The Director of Sports of the Akwa Ibom State Secondary Schools Board, Mr Emmanel Ebong attended the event and he presented winning medals to the top three schools, as well as a trophy to the winning school, C.S.C.S. Ibiaku Itam
C.S.C.S defeated State College Ikot Ekpene by 6-4. In the third place play-off match, West Itam Secondary School defeated C.S.C.S. Ikot Ekpeyak by 14-6.
Despite the occasional rain that disrupted some of the matches, the students of the participating schools, were defiant, as they wanted to show some of the netball skills that they have learned from their P.E. Teachers.
The brass band of Adiaha Obong Secondary School was on hand to serenade the attendees with their melodic drumming. A follow-up practical training of 46 trained netball P.E. Teachers is going to hold in three different zones (Eket, Ikot Ekpene and Uyo) in the state on 5th July 2023.
