BY SAB OSUJI

The 2023 edition of the Anambra State Traders Sports Competition will kick off across the seven market zones in the state on  Wednesday, 18th October, 2023 with 85 markets taking part, Exclusivenews.com.ng reports.

Five sporting events will take center stage in the month-long fiesta, including Football, Tennis, Table Tennis, Draft and Ncho, with organisers describing it as a 'great improvement' over previous editions which used to be only football.

For the very first time, traders are being called out in an elaborate platform to exercise their bodies by keeping business aside and paying attention to their mental and physical being in the true tenet of the maxim that 'all works and no play makes Jack a dull boy'.

The traders Sports Competition will give traders in Anambra markets the opportunity to showcase their sports skills on the field of play as well as improve their physical and psychological well being.

More interestingly, the traders will be playing to win a whopping N10m (Ten million naira) with a lot of other attractive prizes.

At the last count, no fewer than 85 markets have registered to take part in the competition which draws had already been done.

Winners of the football event will go home with three million naira (N3,000,000:00), two Million naira (N2,000,000) and one million naira (N1,000,000:00) as first, second and third prizes respectively.

Winners in  the Table Tennis, Tennis, Draft and Ncho events  will get a reward of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000:00), Three Hundred Thousand Naira(N300,000:00 and Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000:00) respectively.

"Our brothers and sisters in the market will not be playing for leisure this time, they have the opportunity to play to entertain themselves and also smile home with good prize money.

"We are going to have football champions and high kings of Draught.

"There will also be raffle draws where traders, lovers of sports and the entire Ndi Anambra will win different prizes including Plasma Television, Fridges, Generators, watching Machines, Bicycles, Motorcycles, Tricycles and shuttles Bus.

"The tickets will be on sale in the various markets and public places during the competition.

"Ndi Anambra are encouraged to come out at the venues which include Awka Township Stadium, Awka, Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium, Onitsha, Godwin Achebe Stadium, Fegge, Rojenny Stadium, Oba, Ekwulobia Township Stadium, Ekwulobia, Otuocha Stadium, Aguleri to celebrate the rich talent of of our market people.

"The competition will start with Zonal eliminations on Wednesday October 18 where the various market zones will determine their respective champions who will in turn represent them at the state finals.

"The state finalists will thereafter compete for places in the semi finals where the gold, silver and bronze winners will emerge.

The competition is expected to end on Sunday Nov. 26 with final draws for the raffle tickets in an elaborate closing Ceremony.

"The sports and traders  loving Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is expected to lead the draws and perform the symbolic  handover of prizes to winners at the event as the chief Guest of Honour.

"Ndi Anambra, let us once again demonstrate our love for sports and our heritage which is business by supporting this initiative", a statement jointly signed by the Anambra State Sports Development Commission, ANSSDC Chairman, Patrick Estate Onyedum and ASMATA President, Chief Humphrey Anuna concluded.