By Archibong Emmanuel
Calabar (Converseer) – Pelican Stars Football Club of Calabar at the main bowl of the U. J. Esuene Sports Stadium, Calabar walloped Bekwarra Queens by three goals to nil in the third edition of the Queen’s Cup Soccer Competition to mark the 62nd Birthday Celebration of the Wife of the State Governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu.
Peace Ewa scored a brace for Pelican Stars in the fourteenth and twenty-sixth minutes of the first half while Mary Anthony scored a goal in the fifty-seventh minutes of the encounter.
Other sporting events that featured in this year’s eight-day Queen’s Cup tournament included: Basketball, Volleyball, Athletics, Chess, Kokowa and Table Tennis.
Meanwhile, the highest goal scorer in the football category went to Mary Anthony of Pelican Stars with a total of ten goals, the best keeper award also went to Jennifer Wilfred of Pelican Stars, while the fair play award went to Jesus Academy.
Speaking after the final match, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Elvert Ayambem expressed delight with the standard of play exhibited by the finalists.
Hon. Ayambem lauded the Governor’s wife for organising the sports competition which will be used as a platform in discovering hidden talents that will be groomed to stardom in the near future.
The Chairman of the Cross River State Sports Commission, Mr Lawrence Etta Itanya, revealed that aside from football, other sporting events have been included in this year’s Queen’s Cup Tournament.
The Sports Commission Chairman used the medium to intimate that the competition is also used as a preparatory ground for Pelican Stars for this year’s National Women Championship, which will help them to seek promotion into the Nigeria Women Premier League next season.
He noted that the competition was meant for female competitors only.
Meanwhile, in the third place march also played earlier at the same venue, Ekabakon Queens of Ikom defeated Ashley Academy by five goals to four on penalty shoot-out after a one-all draw in regulation time.
