By Kelvin Obambon
In a move aimed at restoring the glory days of sports in Cross River State, the Chairman of the State Sports Commission, Hon. Etta Lawrence, on Monday inaugurated new leaderships for the state’s various sports associations at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar.
Highlighting the ceremony was the inauguration of Rt. Hon. Orok Duke PhD as the Chairman of the Table Tennis Association. Duke, a veteran sports administrator, pledged to revitalize the sport and announced a personal donation of N1 million to support the Commission’s immediate administrative needs.
Speaking shortly after taking his oath of office, Duke emphasized the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to talent discovery. He revealed that the Commission is already tracking a high-performing student-athlete who recently relocated from Lagos to the state.
READ ALSO: Cross River Is Reported COVID-19 Free After Successful Containment of Single Case
“If those running athletics can get the boy, we will sponsor his education as long as he competes for Cross River State,” Duke stated. He urged his fellow chairmen not to work in isolation, “Don’t concentrate only on your sports. If they are good in other sports, yes, we can also reach out to help.”
Addressing the history of “poaching” where athletes groomed in Cross River were lured away to neighboring states, the Table Tennis Association Chairman vowed to fix the “internal sell-outs” and continue the 30-year tradition of providing scholarships to table tennis players. He estimated a three-year timeline to return the state to the peak levels once enjoyed by icons like Offiong Edem.
While acknowledging the Commission’s current financial constraints, Rt. Hon. Orok Duke called for the completion of critical facilities at the stadium, including the roofing for the wrestling and judo areas, and the establishment of an effective gym.
“The commission may not have money to favour everybody. We are going to go out in the field and look for money to help our associations and the commission,” Duke added, while stressing a shift toward self-sufficiency and private-sector engagement.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Cross River State Sports Commission, Hon. Etta Lawrence, charged the new appointees to prioritize character over silverware. He likened sports administration to military service, demanding a high level of discipline from both leaders and athletes.
“Leadership in sports is more than just winning trophies; it’s about fostering an environment of integrity,” Lawrence said. “We want people who are well-disciplined… not just to nurture them for trophies, only for their families and the state to not be proud of them at the end of the day.”
Lawrence lamented the state’s prolonged absence from the national sports map and called for a spirit of unity to “rewrite the name of Cross River State in gold.”
The inauguration marks a significant step in the state’s “new leaf” of sports administration, with the government promising full support to the new chairmen as they begin the task of grassroots development and infrastructure renewal.
