It
was, indeed, a different stroke for a different folk at the ongoing 18th
National Sports Festival, tagged: EKO 2012 as some states have enough facilities to boost their morale, while other are finding things tough. Daily
Sunsports observed yesterday that some states are having a swell time, going
into their events with high spirit, while others are demoralized for
lacking essential equipment.
The Anambra State female hockey team was literally turned to
running from pillar to post in search of equipment to play its matches. The
team which lost 1-0 to Kadunna State yesterday afternoon had to borrow and rent
kits from Team Delta to enable it honour the game against Kaduna.
They rented goal keeper’s kit and 8 hockey sticks from Delta at
the rate of N15,000 per day. Anambra State women hockey team’s Captain, Chizoba
Obako , lamented that the state Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Aroh, had
shown apathy to their plight; a fact that has affected the entire team
psycologically. Obako cried that it was a humiliating experience and a
big shame that athletes from Anambra had to resort to begging and renting
eqiupment and kits on their own to represent their state.
The captain pointed out that that the pathetic situation had
adversely affected their abilty to win matches as witnessed in the game
against Kaduna. According to Obako, the players and the goal keeper could not
train with the borrowed kits before they were called in for the game. The team
collectively called on the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi to wade into
the matter and rescue them from their plight.