Sports
Kwara To Hold Next National Sports Festival
The Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has said that the state will host the 2022 State Sports Festival.
Abdulrazaq disclosed this while speaking at the closing ceremony of the sixth National Youths Games held in Ilorin, the state capital, where Kwara State finished 6th on the national medals’ table, which is six places higher than its standing in 2019 when the games were last held.
Kwara State ended the competition with a total of 32 medals, including 10 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze, better than it did in 2019 when the state won 22 medals, including three gold.
“Let me congratulate you all. The state appreciates you. We know you improve all the time. We had wanted to hold the state Sports Festival this year but because of Covid-19 we will hold it early next year so as to keep all of you together, keep your synergies together and make you excel better in the sports you are doing,” the Governor told state athletes on the sidelines of the closing ceremony at the University of Ilorin.
He also thanked the athletes for making the state proud at the festival, saying that the government’s decision to hold five editions of NYG in Kwara State, has paid off, the games have led to improvement in the state’s sporting facilities and its internally generated revenues.
“Covid-19 has made the hosting a bit difficult because this edition ought to hold earlier. In fact, this year’s edition is an improvement on the last one and that of 2019 was also an improvement on the year before.
The federal government is taking the event very seriously. I am glad the Minister of Youths and Sports and the Permanent Secretary were here for the event. State governments’ officials from all over the federation were also here. That shows the importance of sports in youths and in national development,” he said.
“We are taking sports very seriously in the state. It helps us improve on our facilities and on our internally generated revenues. Sports bring all of us together. Youths from all over the country are here sharing experiences. It is a great development. It is a great effort and we are happy to host it and we will be willing to host it forever.”
Abdulrazaq was received by members of the Kwara State Sports Commission led by its Executive Chairman, Bola Mogaji.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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