2022 NSF: North West states back Kaduna to host

The North West zone comprising seven states have endorsed Kaduna state to host the 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF) even as they all vowed to support Kaduna in actualising the bid and hosting a successful Festival.

Chairman Directors of Sports, North West states, and Katsina State Director of Sports, Nalado Iro Kankia, stated in Kaduna on Saturday after the sports directors from Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kaduna states toured sporting facilities at the Murtala Muhammed Square, currently undergoing renovation.

He said: “With what we have seen and level of work, no other state can host the NSF better than Kaduna. The facilities are world class standard and can even host international events.

“It is  commendable work and I have seen. You can’t compare all states with this facility, other states are doing their best. We don’t have swimming pool or diving pool in other states, I am appealing to states to emulate Kaduna,” he said.

Speaking on the Edo 2020 NSF which has been serially  postponed, Kankia described it as unfortunate.

“We are waiting for further information from Federal Ministry of Sports on NSF. We the directors of sports are in a difficult situation,” he said.

According to Kankia, the outcome of the stakeholders meeting held at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, focused on grassroots sports development.

“We made lots of progress at the meeting. We are making efforts on sports development at the grassroots. We are emphasizing on grassroots sports development,” he said.

Kankia noted that the marching order handed over to representatives of the board on sports federations, was to spur them to keep athletes busy through sponsorship of competitions.

He however urged board members representing the zone to sponsor competitions in the zone to keep athletes busy.

The Director Sports Kaduna state, Alhaji Yakubu Ibrahim told sports writers that they took the Directors of Sports North West round the sports arena and they have commended the Kaduna state government.

“Eighty per cent of our facilities for sports are in one place and it would boost unity,” he said.

On preparations of Kaduna State for the Edo 2020 NSF, he said their athletes, coaches and officials have been ready since January 2020 for the festival initially billed for March same year.

“We have been ready since January 2920, before  postponement. We are not just going to participate, but to win medals,” he assured.

The zonal coordinator, North West, Alhaji Abdullahi Idris, described the meeting as a huge success.

He explained that all the Directors of Sports from the seven states that in the zone were present at the meeting.

They are; Yakubu Ibrahim (Kaduna state), Nalado Iro Kankia (Katsina), Ali Muhammad Ibrahim (Jigawa) and Bashari Ahmed Maizare (Kano). Usman Umar Ladan (Kebbi), Isyaka M. Shameel (Zamfara) and Ubandoma B. Shuaibu (Sokoto).

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