REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
A five-day Abia first South East Shooting Seminar and Championship 2026 has ended in Umuahia with Abia emerging the overall winner with highest gold medals on the table.
Team Enugu emerged second position with one gold and four other medals and Team Imo came third position on the table with four medals including one silver.
Speaking at the closing ceremony at the Indoor hall of Umuahia Town Stadium, the President of the Nigeria Shooting Federation (NSF), Commodore Muhammed Shettima, said the competition aligns with the federal government’s grassroots development agenda aimed at identifying and nurturing talents.
Commodore Shettima who said Nigeria has many talented youths who lack opportunities, said that shooting sports would provide a platform for employment and skills development, irrespective of educational background, gender or physical ability.
The NSF President commended Governor Alex Otti, for supporting the hosting of the first regional shooting sports competition in the South-East, and described the initiative as a major boost for grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
While explaining that Abia’s support had helped to demystify shooting as a sport and dispel public fears associated with it Commodore Shettima reiterated the commitment of federation to popularising the sport across the country.
The Commissioner for Sports Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Jane Igwe, has expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the successful hosting of the South-East Regional Shooting Championship in the state.
In their separate the Director of Sport Council in the state Mr Obioma George and the Southeast Coordinator Pastor Pascaline Edoziem all expressed satisfaction with the state’s participation and performance at the South-East Regional Shooting Competition, describing Abia’s decision to embrace the sport as timely and rewarding.
They assured that the state would host more shooting competitions, stressing that plans are underway to organise an internal Abia State Shooting Championship immediately after the regional event.
In an interview, the Lead Shooting Coach of the competition, Mr. Adoyi Elaochi described the South-East Regional Shooting Championship as a standard 10-metre air pistol and rifle event, designed to promote the sport in Nigeria.
A Gold medalist Miss Esther Ejim, an Abia State athlete, expressed optimism about building a career in shooting sports with the aim of advancing her career to national and international levels
Correspondent Peace Agbo reports that over one hundred athletes from the five South east states participated in the competition.
