By Igbotako Nowinta, Alltimepost.com Nigerian Bureau Chief
History was made over the weekend in Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria, when the Shekinah Glory of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) hosted its first ever Sports Festival.
The Shekinah Glory Zonal Sports Festival took place between Wednesday August 28 and Saturday August 31, 2019 at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Ugbowo Campus, with pomp and pageantry as parishioners, friends and well wishers turned out in large numbers to attend.
Speaking at the epoch-making event, the vision driver/initiator of the sport festival, who doubles as the Pastor-in-Charge of the RCCG Zonal headquarters, Pastor Frank Amegor, said the historic sporting weekend was conceived to reawaken sportsmanship in the lives of Christian believers, to create and enhance good working, peaceful and harmonious relationship among worshipers.
”The Sporting Festival was organized to bring in people of like minds in sports together among Christians and non Christians. Ultimately, it is a way of evangelism, to bring and encourage non believers to embrace Jesus Christ.”
He urged the Federal Ministry of Sports to create an avenue through sports, to establish synergy with Christian leaders across the country, to discover hidden talents available within the Churches.
His words: “It is amazing to note that our sporting festival has so far led to the discovery of sizable numbers of future champions. Even, the elderly within the Church were not left out, as it afforded them the opportunity to exercise their bodies.”
Several sporting games like football (female & male), Table Tennis, Athletics, Sack, Bottle, Egg races, W hot, Scrabble, Dart, Ludo etc, were contested for between the 3 Areas (Glory, Sanctuary of Favour & Shekinah Glory) that maKe up the Shekinah Glory Zonal Headquarters under Province 5 in Edo State.
The Sport Coordinator, Deacon Omo Aieloshan remarked that the Sporting Festival has come to stay; that it will now be held in August annually.
The games contested for were split into categories that accommodated the men, women, teenagers and children, and witnessed the winning of several Gold, Silver & Bronze medals.
The over all trophy of the Sporting Festival was won by Shekinah Glory Parish for winning the highest numbers of medals.
