- The First Lady of Anambra State, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, handing over a ₦750,000 cheque to the winner of the Nonye Soludo Volleyball Competition, Idemili South, on Friday in Awka
Titus Eleweke, South East Editor
IDEMILI, Anambra – The Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State has emerged overall winner of the 2nd edition of the Nonye Soludo Female Volleyball Competition, carting home a cash prize of ₦750,000.
The annual volleyball championship, initiated by the Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, is designed to promote unity, entertainment, and talent discovery, while providing a pathway for young female athletes to progress to national and international volleyball platforms.
The competition, which took place at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, featured teams from 16 local government areas across the state.
In a thrilling and highly competitive final match that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, Idemili South defeated Njikoka Local Government Area to clinch the championship title.
Earlier in the day, Anaocha Local Government Area defeated Aguata Local Government Area to secure the third-place position.
The tournament attracted key sports stakeholders, including the Chairman of the Anambra State Sports Commission, Mr. Patrick Onyedum, coaches, sports administrators, and volleyball enthusiasts.
Individual Awards and Team Accolades
Outstanding performances were recognised at the end of the competition.
Stephine Nwadinobi from Idemili South was recognized as Best Attacker,
Cynthia Uzuegbunam from Njikoka as Best Setter, Chinecherem Nwazupu from Anaocha as Most Valuable Player (MVP). The Njikoka LGA team was honoured as Best Behaved Team,Aguata LGA got Best Coach Award.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady of Anambra State and founder of the Nonye Soludo Healthy Living Initiative, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, commended the players, coaches, coordinators, and officials for a well-organised and highly competitive tournament.
She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to discovering and nurturing raw talents from the grassroots, stressing that sports development remains a key component of youth empowerment in Anambra State.
Dr. Soludo personally presented:
₦750,000 to Idemili South ,1st place position,₦500,000 to Njikoka ,2nd place position and ₦250,000 to Anaocha 3rd place position.
According to her, the competition was organised to foster fun, bonding, and healthy living during the festive period, while also providing opportunities for young athletes to build sustainable careers in volleyball.
She pledged her continued support for the growth of volleyball in the state.
Chairman of the Anambra State Sports Commission, Patrick Onyedum, described volleyball as the strongest and most organised sport in the state, followed by football.
He explained that upon assuming office, he conducted extensive research which revealed that volleyball has the most structured grassroots development system in Anambra State.
“We have a centre in Onitsha, popularly known as Washington, where we groom young talents from primary and secondary schools. Most of the players from Idemili South are products of the Anambra Sports Solution Initiative, which focuses on grassroots development. We catch them young,” he said.
Onyedum noted that the volleyball programme runs annually and has consistently produced talented players.
He added that following discussions with the First Lady, she embraced the idea of organising an annual female volleyball competition to further strengthen the sport.
According to him, volleyball remains the only sport in the state with a well-defined grassroots breeding and training structure, while football still struggles with organisation.
Speaking on the future of volleyball in the state, Onyedum highlighted Anambra Queens as the only female volleyball team in the entire South-East.
He noted that the team was promoted from Division One to the Premier League in October 2022 and has remained there since.
“Since 2006, we have identified our challenges and we are determined to solve them. Anambra State is blessed with abundant volleyball talents,” he said.
He expressed confidence that by 2026, Anambra State would produce the best volleyball team in Nigeria.
However, he regretted that due to limited slots, many talented players from the state currently represent other states at national competitions.
“At the finals today, almost all the players are professionals playing for other states. We are producing talents for other states to recruit. Unfortunately, we cannot retain all of them,” he stated.
The Mayor of Idemili South Local Government Area, Mrs. Amaka Obi, speaking through Valentine Mbadugha, praised the resilience and discipline of the team, attributing their victory to consistent training and the impact of the Anambra State Sports Development Initiative (ANSSI), a brainchild of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Head Coach of the Anambra State Volleyball Team and Coordinator of the Nonye Soludo Volleyball Competition, Coach Uche Okafor, disclosed that 36 matches were played during the tournament, with four teams from the state’s four zones advancing to the semi-finals.
Coach Okafor expressed concern that many talented players from Anambra State now represent other states at major national competitions.
He appealed to the Sports Development Commission and the state government to improve players’ welfare through proper remuneration to reverse the trend.
One of the players, Chiamaka Okeke of Njikoka LGA, alongside the captain of the Idemili South team, Favour Ani, thanked the Wife of the Governor for the initiative, describing it as a major boost to female volleyball in the state.
They, however, appealed to the state government for improved allowances, recognition, and welfare packages to enable them proudly represent Anambra State at national competitions.
