Sports

Traditional Sports Athletes Set To Stage Protest Over Non-Inclusion Of The Sport In The 2022 National Sports Festival

Published

2 years ago

October 26, 2022

Traditional Sports; Kokowa, Langa, Ayo, Abula and Dambe athletes are set to protest the non-inclusion of the indigenous sport in the forthcoming National Sports Festival, billed to take place next month in Asaba, Delta State.

Nigeria was the first country to demonstrate the African traditional sports at the All Africa Games when three traditional sports of Ayo, Dambe, and Kokowa were demonstrated at the 8th All Africa Games hosted in Nigeria in 2003.

While several letters have been written to the sports ministry to reinstate and feature traditional sports in the festival, no action has been taken to reinstate the sport and the athletes are now planning to stage protest against the non-inclusion of the sport.

It can be confirmed from a reliable source that athletes and officials of Traditional Sport are mobilizing and planning to protest the non-inclusion of the sport in the National Sports Festival.

Reacting to the development, president of Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria Honourable Olomo Agbadabina, who did not confirm the protest, said he is still appealing to the sports ministry for the re-instatement of traditional sports in the sport festival.

“We at the federation are still appealing to the sports ministry to bring back Traditional Sport and feature it in the festival because the implication is that the sports are no longer reckoned with in Nigeria and the progress made so far in promoting African Traditional Sports in Nigeria has been dismissed”.

“Thousands of Nigerian Youths that are participating in Traditional Sports have been eliminated from taking part at the festival and rendered jobless, with their coaches”.

Honourable Agbadabina, who believes that reducing Traditional Sport at the National Sports Festival to optional sport is a disgrace to the teeming youths who have taken to the sport, said he will continue to push until his request is attended to.

“We have written to the sports ministry, we have sent letter to Delta State, we have copied the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representative and we have also written to the Senate President, we will continue to push and try all within our power so as to reinstate Traditional Sport in the National Sports festival”.

Federal Government relisted Para sports to the festival on Wednesday October 9 following protest from its athletes after it was earlier removed by the National Council on Sports.

The 21st edition of the National Sports Festival which was earlier scheduled to take place from November 2-15 will now take place from November 28 to December 10, 2022.

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Sports

Mahanaim FC too good for Green Lock in first match of the year

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2025

The Gleamer

Mahanaim FC kicked-off year 2025 with a victory over Greenlock FC on Saturday, at the Bwari Township Stadium. Goals from Aliyu Imran and Nambou Roman were enough to secure victory for the boys in our first match of the year.

Both teams hadn’t met since 2023 when we cruised to a 2-nil win over them. That result set the tone for our match on Saturday, with our opponents hoping to get one over us this time.

Our Coaches, Saheed Jimoh and Jackson Mbuk had set up a line up which had a blend of young players and the experienced ones, including Haruna Abdullahi, who also got a goal the last time we played GreenLock.

After the opening exchange in first few minutes, Haruna bursted through the middle into the opponents 18-yards, Dribbling his way past three players before setting up Aliyu Imran who finished the move with a goal from close range. The game became very close from that point onwards with only the goal separating the teams.

After the break, the match became more open as we pushed forward searching for the second goal. GreenLock FC came close a couple of times before finding an equaliser through a low free- kick from Samuel Daniel, that went past our Goal-Keeper, David Adolphus.

Barely two minutes after the equaliser, Haruna Abdullahi once again conjured a magical pass that found Nambou Roman who had replaced Aliyu Imran in the attack. Roman’s well timed run was complemented by Haruna’s defence spliting pass. Roman lobbed the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper into the net, to restore our lead.

GreenLock FC fought fiercely to find an equaliser but our defence line which had Nura Yahaya, Jesse Mokele, Salisu Hamisu and Marcus Haruna stood firm with the help of the midfielders, Daniel Egwuatu and Ikoh Danjuma, as we gained another victory over GreenLock FC in our first match of 2025.

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