GOV. OTTI FLAGS 1ST. SOUTH EAST SHOOTING COMPETITION IN ABIA STATE

It was a turning point for sports in Nigeria’s South-East. Governor Alex Otti, a leader increasingly known for looking beyond the conventional, officially flagged off the first-ever South-East Shooting Competition. It wasn’t just a tournament; it was a bold declaration that Abia State is ready to trade the familiar roar of the football stadium for the disciplined silence of the shooting range.

The journey to this moment began with a surprise. During the last National Sports Festival, the Governor admitted he was initially hesitant about the state’s shooting team. However, the athletes returned not with excuses, but with medals. That performance transformed skepticism into a state-wide strategy. Standing in for the Governor, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba, reflected this newfound resolve, noting that while football and basketball remain staples, shooting offers a fresh, elite pathway to the Olympic podium.

The atmosphere at the event was one of rigorous professionalism, underscored by the presence of the Nigeria Shooting Federation and the National Sports Commission. Experts like Mrs. Paschaline Edozie, the South East Zonal Representative for Shooting, pointed out the high stakes involved—not just in talent, but in investment. With shooting ranges costing upwards of N15 million and pellets commanding high prices, the state’s decision to provide these resources for free spoke volumes about its commitment to “catching them young.”
For the 150 participants gathered from Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo, the competition is a rare door flung wide open. From the Under-15 hopefuls to the seasoned senior marksmen, the shooters spent the first few days in intensive seminars, sharpening their mental game before stepping onto the range for the three-day competition. The mantra of the Abia Sports Council, “I win and I can,” echoed through the venue, a sentiment shared by the Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George, who reminded the crowd that Abia is already leading national events across various disciplines.

As the competition unfolds through January 30, the goal remains clear: to find the next generation of Nigerian Olympians within the local grassroots. Commodore Mohammed Shettima of the Nigeria Shooting Federation noted that Abia was specifically chosen for this inaugural regional event because of its administrative strides. By the time the final echoes of the competition fade, the state hopes to have laid the foundation for a legacy where Abia’s youth are known globally, not just for their footwork on a pitch, but for their steady hands and eagle eyes on the world’s biggest sporting stages.