For his magnanimity and largeness of heart in naming the Akwa Ibom International Stadium after his predecessor in office, Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State has received the commendation of renowned sports administrator, Paul Bassey.

The FIFA Match Commissioner, CAF General Coordinator and Instructor on Club Licencing said in Uyo on Friday that “….. sports been my culture medium, His Excellency made my day by that singular declaration, even the first in office…..”

The board member of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation said he was in Uyo to be part of the swearing in ceremony and he was delighted to see Governor Akpabio not only commissioning new projects but naming them after prominent sons and daughters of the state. “ You can therefore imagine my joy when His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel   decided to ‘pay him back’ by naming the   architectural delight after him.

“The building of that stadium, one of the best in the world,   was all Akwa Ibom needed to get to the pinnacle of world sports and Governor Akpabio said that much on commissioning day last year, when he prayed for the effective utilization of the infrastructure to hone the skills of Nigerian athletes, even Akwa Ibom sons and daughters, while looking forward to the production of new Charles Basseys, Etok Ebes, Etim Esins, Vincent Enyeamahs, Utitofon Nkantahs,   Enefiok Udobongs, Lawrence Iqua Iboms and Samuel Peters of the state sports fame

“ one of such dividend is the emergence of Aniekeme Alphonsus as the current fastest junior athlete in the land over 100 and 200 metres and African champion in the sprint relays in Ethiopia and Mauritius, a feat that Governor Akpabio noted and rewarded with a training scholarship in the United States of America just last week.

“ Now that Governor Udom Emmanuel has started on a sports foundation, we are set for a sports revolution that will put the name of the state in the sports map of Nigeria, even the world. I urge Governor Udom to initiate a sports machinery that will maximize the use of the structures and state of the art equipment in the Godswill Akpabio Stadium” Mr Bassey said.

He contended that a state cannot have such a facility and fail to use it for continental and international engagements.

“The newly instituted Normalisation Committee of the Akwa Ibom Football Association must deliver an environment that will bring football back to life in Akwa Ibom, while the state Athletics Association must build on the foundation laid by the AKS/NNPC/MPN Schools Atheletics Championships to be able to nurture talents advantage Akwa Ibom”