17th NSF: PH Hosts Zonal Qualifiers

As Rivers State steps up preparations for the hosting of the 17th National Sports Festival, NSF, tagged Garden City Games, Port Harcourt is set to host one of the zonal elimination for team games for one of the zones in South-South region.

According to the Rivers Head of Coaching, Tony Nwokocha in an interview yesterday, the zonal qualifiers would commence tomorrow across the nation, with Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers States competing for team sports tickets for the Sport Festival proper.

He said that competition for team games was based on entries which will enable states participate in the major tournament.

Games that will feature in the zonal elimination include football, handball, volleyball, Abula, Basket ball and Hockey.

However, Tidesports learnt that Akwa Ibom and Cross River states did not enter for Hockey, Abula and Volleyball.

Rivers state automatically qualifies for all the events, courtesy of her status as the host of the 17th NSF, and Port Harcourt was approved as venue for the zonal exercise by the co-ordinator in order to give the competing states a level playing ground.

Teams are expected to arrive Port Harcourt today and be camped at the University of Port Harcourt.

The Alfred Diette Spiff Sports Complex is scheduled to host basketball and handball, while football holds at the UNIPORT pitch.