Governor Alex Otti, on Tuesday, launched the first South-East Shooting Competition, describing shooting as a strategic sport for talent discovery and youth empowerment.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Umuahia, Mr Otti said that the competition was part of his administration’s efforts to expand sports development beyond conventional disciplines.

The governor described shooting as a recognised Olympic sport.

He also said that the sport had strong potential to produce national and international champions when properly developed at the grassroots level.

Mr Otti said that his administration was committed to supporting emerging sports that could provide new opportunities for young people and raise Abia’s profile in national competitions.

“Shooting is a globally recognised Olympic sport, and when we came on board, I promised to develop sports beyond the conventional ones.

“Today, alongside boxing, football and basketball, shooting has been introduced and promoting sports, such as shooting, will empower our youths and enhance our chances of winning medals in national and international competitions,” Mr Otti said.

He commended the Shooting Association of Abia for organising the competition and assured it of the continued government’s support.

He assured that his administration would support sports associations that demonstrated discipline, transparency, and a commitment to youth development. He further said that shooting had already shown promise in Abia, citing the association’s medal-winning performance at the last National Sports Festival.

According to the Abia governor, that performance convinced the government of the need to invest more in the sport and provide platforms for young talents to compete.

Mr Otti said that the grassroots competition would help identify and nurture young shooters for state, national, and international representation. He expressed the optimism that Abia would soon produce shooters capable of representing Nigeria at major international competitions, including the Olympic Games.

He said that the government’s long-term plan was to attract young talent and develop them through structured competitions and training programmes.

“Our strategy is to catch them young through community-based competitions and nurture them. We already have a growing pool of athletes capable of competing at state, national and international levels, and we are confident that Abia will produce future Olympic champions,” he said.

(NAN)