Former Nigeria national football team goalkeeper, Emmanuael Okala
Emmanuel Okala, the 1980 African Cup of Nations Cup winning Green Eagles goalkeeper, has advised Nigerians of all ages and social strata to engage in sports to enjoy better health.
Okala made the call at the end of the special edition of the monthly Walk for Life held in Awka on Saturday.
The participants of the April edition of the walk covered a distance of 13kms against the usual 10kms with a start point in Awka that terminated at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam campus open field.
Okala said evidences had shown that people who engaged in sporting activities or exercise had lesser risk of taking ill against those that do not.
The veteran, who is a Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, said walking was one of the easiest and effective exercises that one could do and encouraged people to take walks.
He commended the Anambra Sports Development Commission (ASDC) for organising the programme and showing consistency since it started in November last year.
“Exercise is very good and healthy, it is advisable for people to engage in sports like taking part in a monthly walk like this.
“It will do a great good to your health till next month, I thank the organisers for such a good idea,” he said.
Prof. Greg Nwakobi, the Vice Chancellor of Ojukwu Varsity, said the institution was happy to partner the sports commission on the programme.
Nwakobi said he encouraged exercise among the staff and students as good health and physical fitness were important to academic excellence.
Another participant, Mr Arthur Ebunam, Chairman of Ex=Rangers international football club players in Anambra, says the benefit of sports on the individual was unquantifiable.
Ebunam said he could not do without sports daily, adding that it had enhanced his quality of life.
According to him, “we just have to try no matter how little, the distance should not discourage anybody, consistency is what matters more than distance”.
On his part, Tony Oli, the Chairman of ASDC, thanked the people of Anambra for taking part in the monthly walk, while applauding those that covered the whole distance.
Oli said it would be shorter next month and promised to sustain the programme. (NAN)
