FAMOUS Nigerian  sprints star Utitofon Nkantah, nee Ukoh MFR, has come out in praise of the grass roots athletics development programme that has been sustained by Mobil Producing Nigeria( MPN) in the past 15 years in Akwa Ibom State.

Deaconess Nkantah was reacting to the news that Comfort Anietie James, a product of the AKS/NNPC/MPN Schools Athletics Championships got a silver in the 1,500 metres event of the just concluded All Nigeria Athletics Championships in Warri. “For her to compete with seniors and emerge the second best in the land is a great testimony to the foundation that was laid by MPN, Operators of the NNPC/MPN Joint Venture”, she said.

At the Warri trials Comfort ran 4mins 36 seconds to pick a silver and was heralded for her feat as a great potential in a distance that Nigeria is yet to control on the African Continent.

An ex student of Government Secondary School Ikot Nya in Nsit Ibom    Local Government Area, the 17 year old was the Mobil Championship champion for two years in 2013 and 2014. And was one of the beneficiaries of the 2013 Calabar camping and training experience. The state Director of sports Coach Aniedi Dickson said though the state has a lot of junior National Champions thanks to Mobil, we decided to take five of them to Warri to expose them, ( Comfort James, Akwaowo Etim 100 metres, Ubon Sunday, 400metres, Esther Ekanem 100 metres and Ndipmo Edet 100metres). And it yielded positive results.

Deaconess Nkantah, President of Athletics Technical Officials in Akwa Ibom, who was also in Calabar in 2013 when MPN initiated the first ever Holiday Camping and training programme said she was “very happy with the initiative, because it is one thing to discover stars, and another to groom them to enhance their potentials. First it was Aniekeme Alphonsus, now Comfort. We are really reaping from Mobil’s trade mark Corporate Social Responsibility strides”

On the forth coming programme scheduled for the Godswill International Stadium Uyo from August 17, Deaconess Nkantah expressed a lot of delight at the quality of coaches lined up to help mentor the youths.

“when you have the likes of Professor Ogunjimi, Gabriel Okon, Solomon Abari, Amellia Edet, Ken Onuaguluchi and Nuhu in one camp, then the kids can only expect the best. It must have taken a lot to be able to assemble these top class coaches that is why I will implore the kids to take full advantage of this opportunity that will help launch them to a glorius future in the sport” She counseled.

All the first four place winners in the 14th  edition of the Championships    invited to the Camping and training programme    are to report at the Lutheran High School Obot Idim from 3pm, Sunday August 16 2015.

Mobil Producing will provide all the students with track suits and shoes, canvasses, sports bags, and other kits during the two week exercise.