By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Ag Vice Chancellor (VC) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Prof Carol Arinze-Umeobi, has described Sports as an act that opens the floodgates of positive fortunes.

Umeobi who broke the national record in discus with 41.18m in 1977 Sports Festival disclosed that she wants to endow a prize to the highest performer in discus during the University sports competitions.

Addressing members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, (SWAN), during a courtesy visit in her office on Tuesday, the VC has announced her intention to institute special prize for best performing discus throwers at the Nigeria University Games (NUGA).

Recalling how her Performance in the discus event at National Sports Festival in 1977 opened the floodgates of positive fortunes for her, Umeobi said she owed her success in life to sports.

She added, “As a passionate lover of sports, I will do all I can do support athletes in whatever way I can.

“I started with sprints but later, I discovered that I had advantage in throws, so I competed in women category of discus at Kaduna 1977 because I was 20 at that time

“At that festival, I broke the national record in the discus with 41.18m at that time, a very difficult feat I must say,

“I want to endow the prize for the highest performer in discus during University sports competitions.”

While expressing gratitude for the visit of SWAN members in Anambra, she commended sports journalists for their positive role in the sector.

She however promised to partner with SWAN, saying that she owed her achievement in life through sports to a particular sports journalist who covered her activities at Kada 77.

“I remember, one Aniette Ekong from Cross River who covered my activities at Kada 77, he was the person who painstakingly wrote a full centre page newspaper publication of my record at the games.

“That publication gave me a lot of benefit, I travelled to America, Australia and other parts of the world for so many events on invitation and also got a sports scholarship.

“I do not know where he is now, but I would like you people to locate Anniete Ekong for me because whatever I am today, he contributed to it,” she added.

Earlier in his remark, the state Chairman of SWAN, Chimezie Anaso, congratulated the VC on her appointment as the first female Vice Chancellor of the institution.

He described her as someone that had not only excel academically, but also an iconic of sports who ruled the world of sports as an undergraduate.

Anaso urged her to use the position she currently occupies to lay the foundation for making Unizik the sports hub at the tertiary education level in the Southeast.

He added, “We will be happy that you consider this humble charge as part of your footprints in this university.

“We extend our hands of partnership to Unizik in the promotion of sports in the University,”