Pictures: Dare declares maiden national para-sports festival open as athletes settle for action

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, at the weekend declared first ever National Para Sports Festival with a charge on athletes and officials to complete clean.

Mr. Dare who assured that the festival taking place inside the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, will hold beyond 2022 said organising the games became necessary following the enactment of the Disability Act and Commission.

While recalling how 65% medals of entire medals including gold, silver and bronze in the last three Olympics were won by the nation’s Paralympians maintained that all medals won in the Olympics and the Paralympic are valued same.

He then thanked the participating states governors, commissioners and Directors of Sports for their interest in sports development, and assured that Nigeria would be taking part in the commonwealth games in nine different sports including Powerlifting.

Earlier, in an address of welcome, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Alhaji Isma’il Abubakar, said the National Para Sports Festival was initiated by the sports ministry for athletes with disability to give a level playing ground in society as well as creating opportunity for other Nigerians living with disability to explore possibilities of choosing sports as a career.

Alhaji Abubakar pointed out that athletes would slug it out in fifteen sports between April 9 and 15, 2022.

Director of the Nigeria para-sports and sports festival, Mr. Peter Nelson, said the competition would enable officials fish out younger talents in various para-sports, beyond para-athletics, Powerlifting and few popular ones.

Athletes from over 20 states are slugging it out in the ongoing National para-games.