Andy Warns Opponents

Collins Andy, a Para Table Tennis Player for Team Akwa Ibom has warned his opponents not to underrate him in the ongoing National Sports Festival.

Para Table Tennis event will begin tomorrow at the Indoor Hall of National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Andy who is participating in the Sports Festival for the first time, boasted that his preparation in the last few months in Akwa Ibom State would help him to reach the medal zone. He disclosed that his mission in Lagos is to win the gold medal for his state and feature in the next 2016 Paralympics Games.

“Being a first timer, I am here to shock my opponents and prove the bookmakers wrong. I am aware that every state wants to win gold but I believe that with my good preparation, I can win the gold medal for my state,” he said.

Andy revealed that Team Akwa Ibom are motivated by the state governor, Godswill Akpabio and believes the team will give their best to surpass their last records in the National Sports Festival held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“Our sports loving governor has just rewarded the athletes that made the state proud in the last National Sports Festival, and we don’t want to disappoint him by performing below expectations in this year’s edition,” he said.

Akwa Ibom recorded the highest number of medals ever won by the state in the history of National Sports Festival held in Port Harcourt, having won a total of 17 gold, eight silver and 26 bronze medals, to finish 8th on the final medal table, which serves as the all time best performance by the state.

That was Akwa Ibom’s best performance out of the eleven times the state had participated at the National Sports Festival.

—SUNDAY AKINTOYE