The Kaduna State Government will provide talented athletes identified at the ongoing sixth edition of the State Sports Festival with special scholarship packages, an official disclosed yesterday in Kaduna.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, made the disclosure while declaring open the festival at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.
She said the state government would, in view of the importance attached to sports, provide incentives such as scholarship packages to students who distinguished themselves in events.
“To provide these incentives, the state has instituted special scholarship packages for those who excel in sports,” Balarabe declared.
She said the state government was aware of the importance of sports in promoting the socio-economic development of states.
The deputy governor pointed out that this knowledge led to the need to give the state’s Sports Development Ministry the necessary support to ensure the festival was held annually.
She said the state government was hopeful the festival would enable young athletes in the state to find national and international space to exhibit their talents.
“Sports generally enhance students’ academic performance. Youths involved in sports are also most likely not to engage in drugs and they do not drop out of school.
“Sports unites people, and it is as such a driving force that makes us to begin to provide sports facilities in all public schools,’’ Balarabe said.
She charged the chairmen of all local governments in the state to support events at the grass roots to ensure an all-round development.
“Also, let me call on corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals to come and partner with us in ensuring this sports festival is sustained annually,” she said.
Tidesports source reports that over 2,000 athletes and officials from the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state are featuring in the one-week event.