Students who made it to the finals of the 14 AKS/NNPC/MPN Schools Athletics Competition are set to slug it out on January 10 2015.

In a press release yesterday, the Consultant to the project Mr Paul Bassey said “ after due consultation with the facilitators and other parties and given the tight sports schedule in December and the school calendar that was affected by the closure of schools due to the Ebola virus infection, we have decided to move the grand finale to January 10 next year in Uyo”

Mr Bassey who said 506 students have qualified for the competition this year from the eight sports zones of the state hinted of a new format that will see all the qualified students undergoing a one week intensive orientation course in the use of modern sports equipment including spike shoes, starting blocks etc.

“After running barefoot for 12 years on the beaten tracks of Eket Stadium, last year we took the students to U J Stadium in Calabar and for them it was a delight wearing spike shoes and running on tartan tracks for the first time in their lives. This time around, you can imagine the expectations of the kids having to feature in one of the best stadiums in the world, the Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo.”

Mr Bassey was all praise for NNPC and Mobil Producing Nigeria for keeping faith with the programme for 14 consecutive years. “ this, by far is one of the longest running sports sponsorships in the land, one that has contributed in discovering lots of talent at grass roots level, talent that the state has exploited and groomed”

“ You can imagine over 500 students benefitting track shoes and going back to put them to constant use, not to talk of the quality of tutoring they will get from some of the best track and field coaches in the land.”

. Last year, we had the benefit of world acclaimed coaches like Professor Ogunjimi, Stephen Nuhu,Armelia Edet, Oluyomi Sule, Ken Onuaguluchi, Utitofon Nkantah and Solomon Abari, among others.”

Students are expected to report to camp on Monday January 5, leading to the final of the competition on January 10 2015.