Bishop Ezeokafor Flags Off 2015 Awka Diocesan Priests Sports Competition

The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor was on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 flagged off the 2015 Awka Diocesan Priests sports competition with

a call on the participating priests to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship noting that regular exercise brings about healthy living.

The competition which was organized by Directorate of Sports, Awka Diocese (DOSAD), was held at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Nanka Orumba North LGA premises witnessed a large turn-out of people including three bishops, Monsignorl, Rev. Fathers ,Religious, politicians, Captains of industry, academics as well as Fifa badged referees.

Addressing the mammoth crowd who thronged the venue to have a glimpse of the participating priests,  Bishop Ezeokafor said the essence of the competition was to achieved wellness through sports and also to cultivate the virtues of discipline, fairness , enterprise and healthy attitudes to life through sports for all classes of people.

He commended the organizers of the competition especially for the calibre of people they brought as sponsors of the event even as he said whoever that want to stay fit and healthy must engage himself in one sporting event or the other adding that the competition would be a continuous thing.

Bishop Ezeokafor while commending the local Organizing committee (LOC) blessed the distinguished Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial district and All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige who took sponsorship of Lawn Tennis ; the national chairmain of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and also a senatorial candidate of his party,  Chief Sir Victor Umeh who  agreed to sponsor Football ; Senator Annie Okonkwo who accepted to sponsor Volley ball and  Hon. Val Ayika  who took sponsorship of Table Tennis.

In an opening speech , the host Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Alphonsus Ezeoke Expressed gratitude to God for gift of sound health as well as the opportunity given to them to be part of the
competition noting that with commitment and sincerity of purpose the competition would yield the desired goal.

In his address of welcome, the Awka diocesan Director of sports , Rev. Fr. Coach Obinna Dike, said the competition had been really what the (Priests) longed for noting that healthy sports competition would help them achieve integral fitness that leads to wellness .

His words, 'It is a known fact that many of us present here were doyens and darling sports heroes of our schools and communities and during our seminary days but got choked up by " Pastoral demands" after our priestly ordinations. The flag-off of 2015 priests competition today must end that trend,' Coach Dike said.

Rev. Fr.  Dike announced that Priests sports competition must be a yearly event so as to help the Priests develop integrally adding that the ultimate aim was to achieve wellness through sports.

He said sports and recreation would open them up to life and journey towards wellness.

'Football, Volleyball, Chess, Draughts, and Chess are to be played in a league format among the four regions - Adazi , Akpu, Awka, and Ekwulobia. Badminton, Tennis and Lawn Tennis are expected to be competed for according 3 major age brackets: 28- 38, 39-50, 51-above.

'The top 2 teams or players or sets of players at the end of the series will now engage themselves in a grand finale .This ad hoc arrangement is subject to ratification by Local Organizing Committee headed by a distinguished sportsman and referee of international repute , Rev. Fr. Dr. Francis Chidume. The main competitions are to start first week of March 2015,' Dike said.
Roll call of those who attended the event were as follows:  Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor; Bishop Peter Okpaleke ( Catholic bishop of Ahiara Diocese); Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye (Auxiliary bishop of Awka Diocese); Msgr. Jerome Madueke ( Awka Diocesan Director of Social Communication); Very Rev. Fr. Martin Anusi ( Deputy director Fides Communication) among others