Monday 17 April 2017

Aniekan Umoh: The winning sports coordinator

There are some people that are born into this planet with natural talent, skills, luck and ability to do what others cannot do easily.

Aniekan Umoh can easily be classified among those who have been very lucky and successful in any position of responsibility he is being assigned to do.
Born some 45 years ago, Aniekan Umoh, an indigene of Utu Ikot Ekpenyong in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, started his football career right from his primary school days.

Blessed with immense football skills, young Aniekan captained his primary school football team, winning trophies and laurels for the school and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.

He also featured and captained his secondary school football team event when he was in the junior class. Aniekan Umoh’s dribbling skills and shooting ability singled him out as a shining star.


During his playing days, Aniekan featured for clubs like Kofine FC of Ikot Ekpene, Rafia FC of Ikot Ekpene, Everbright Stars of Abak, Jetimo FC of Uyo, Rovers FC of Calabar among others. He was among sports men and women who were given employment by the  then Cross River State government based on their outstanding performances in their respective sports.

In a bid to acquire more knowledge about the round-leather game, Aniekan Umoh proceeded to National Institute for Sports, Isaka, Rivers State where he obtained his Coaching Certificate.

As a football coach of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth and Sports attached to Abak Local Government Area, Aniekan Umoh was appointed as the Chief Coach of Handsome Insurance Football Club of Abak by the Management of the Club upon its formation in 2002.

He successfully guided the team to the State Challenge (FA) Cup final, thus qualifying the team to represent Akwa Ibom State in that year’s National Challenge cup (now Federation Cup).

Due to his track-record of performance, Coach Amiekan Umoh was promoted as a Zonal Sports Coordinator. While he was in-charge of Etinan Zone, he successfully guided Etinan Team to emerge the overall winners of the first Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival.  As a professional football Coach, Aniekan Umoh was dratted into the State Female Football Team as the Assistant Coach ahead of the National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt. The team returned to the State after the Festival with Bronze Medal.

During the reception organized for them by the then Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, the team were beautifully rewarded and the Governor charged them to go back and improve on their performance in the next Festival.

And at the next Festival in Lagos, Akwa Ibom Female Football team returned home with silver medal, a remarkable improvement from its previous outing.

Coach Aniekan Umoh was transferred to Ukanafun/Oruk Anam/Ika Sports Zone where he has been organizing different sporting activities in the three local Government Areas aimed at discovering hidden talents.

So, when the first Akwa Ibom State Youth Sports Festival was on the pipeline, Coach Umoh went to the three Local Government Area 

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