Sports
NLO: Hon. Ekene splashes N20-million on 8 Kaduna Teams
The House Committee Chairman on Sports, Federal House of Representatives, and Member, representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Hon. Ekene Abubakar Adams has donated N20-Million naira to Kaduna teams ahead of the Nationwide League One, (NLO) competition slated for next month across various centers in the country.
The Lawmaker who announced the donation during a media parley with members of the Sport’s Writers Association of Nigeria, (SWAN) Kaduna state chapter amongst other sport stakeholders on Friday, at the popular Ahmadu Bello Stadium, (ABS) Kaduna said he desired good things for sport in Kaduna state.
Eight teams that qualified from the Division One to the Professional cadre at the end of every season are expected to slug it out in the championship play-off to determine the overall winner for the NLO season.
Speaking in Kaduna on Friday on the need for the various teams to put up their best in the competition, the Honourable Member said the donation is for logistics of the eight teams who qualified for the game, adding that when the teams are motivated, they will showcase their potentials to the fullest.
“We will do everything humanly possible to support the teams in other for them to do well in the forthcoming game. For that reason I am supporting the eight teams with the sum of N20-million naira for their logistics.
“I desire good thing for sport in Kaduna state we have 8 teams that are competing in the NLO, and as the House Committee Chairman on Sports, from Kaduna state here, I want the team to do very well to the best of their abilities.
“Under my administration, we are trying to do everything differently as a seasoned Administrator. I have played, I have managed and I can say that I have risen to the peak of my career in sport. We are now the one in government so if the previous government was doing anything wrong, we are to correct those mistakes and carry everyone along.” He said.
In his response, the Chairman Football Association, (FA) Kaduna state Mr. Faiza Mohammed Abdullahi, said that since the Lawmaker assumed office, they have been able to record a significant giant Strides.
He added that some of the steps that they have taken so far would take a little time to materialized, meanwhile he revealed that there was a disconnect from the previous government but since the coming of Hon. Ekene he has been able to sit down with Governor Uba Sani twice on the need to revitalize sporting activities in the state.
Also, the National President, Sport’s Writers Association of Nigeria, (SWAN) Comrade Isaiah Benjamin, (JP) appreciated the Hon. Member for his efforts and determination to see that sport thrive in the state and the country at large.
He urged members and well meaning Nigerians to prioritize the Lawmaker in their prayers so that God can give him the courage and the enablement to match action with his words even as he said that governance requires the contribution of all and sundry.
Sports
A Triumphant Close to the 22nd National Sports Festival
…As organisers promise another spectacle at closing ceremony on Thursday
Joel Ajayi
After 11 days of a true showcase of sporting competition in multiple Sports by some of the country’s top and even promising athletes, the curtain will finally be drawn on what many have described as one of the best ever organised National Sports festivals, when the closing ceremony is held on Thursday at the MKO Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
Whilst the quality of the Games’ opening ceremony is still getting tongues wagging, the entire sporting family and beyond is now anxiously looking forward to what the closing ceremony will look like.
The last 11 days have showcased Ogun state as a true Sporting hub with potential to even do more, with the quality of the facilities built for the games and the enthusiasm of the people who made the various venues their second home in the last few days.
A big testament to this was the history-making crowd that attended the male football final between Ogun state and Kwara State, which the host won by 4-1.
The MKO stadium was filled to full capacity while the crowd outside watching from the big screen reminds one of how much Sports is truly the soul of our togetherness as a country.
From the Alake Sports centre in Ijeja and the Baptist boys high school, to the Obafemi Awolowo square and the Remo stadium both in Ikenne, to the NYSC orientation camp in Shagamu, and the Ilisan town hall in Ilisan, the festival never lacked spectatorship throughout the games.
The Games actually lived up to the pre-tournament hype as both the National Sports Commission, NSC and the Ogun state Government pulled out every administrative capacity to ensure both athletes, officials and the media have an unforgettable experience.
The Gateway Games 2024 had been full of exciting drama and intrigues amongst the states and athletes which led to different new records being set and some old records being shattered.
The festival has also produced for the country some new exciting young talents especially with the shocking performance of the 38th state, the Invited Junior Athletes ( IJA), where they ended up winning some surprised medals to justify the Commission’s establishment of the initiative.
As the Closing ceremony holds on Thursday, the leadership of the National Sports commission, NSC, expresses its profound gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government for making sure millions of Nigerian youths see a renewed brighter future in the country through the National Sports Festival.
The NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dilko said ” our overwhelming gratitude goes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, for his personal commitment to the development of Nigerian Sports by giving us every support financially and otherwise for the success of this festival”.
” And the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun also deserves a huge praise for the feat we all recorded with these games. I can’t thank him enough and posterity will surely remember him for good “.
The NSC Director General who is also the Chairman of the Main organising committee of the games, Hon Bukola Olopade also extended his gratitude to all the technocrats behind the scene that are responsible for the successful organisation of the games.
” From all the members of the Main organising committee to the various sub committees, to members of the local organising committees and all our technical officials in the various sports to the media and our athletes, every success that everyone is talking about concerning these Games belongs to you all”.
” Yes it was not a perfect festival because we acknowledged we had also some challenges but let me assure everyone that some of the challenges are already being worked upon ahead of the next Games holding in Enugu state next year”, he concluded.
The Closing ceremony is expected to bring together top Government functionaries to captain of industries while there will also be the rich cultural display of the state as Ogun state will officially pass the barton of hosting to Enugu state for the 23rd edition of the Games come September 2026.
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