Kaduna state beat Ogun state 3-2 (25-21, 24-26, 25-23, 17-25, 15-13) to win gold in the men’s volleyball event at the 2022 National Sports Festival in Delta State on Friday.

Kaduna state produced an outstanding performance against Ogun state who were unbeaten till the final match.

Kaduna surprisingly took the first set by 25 to 21 points in a set that saw the Ogun players struggle to get their rhythm. The second set produced a spectacular display from both sides as Ogun won by 26 to 24 points.

The young Kaduna players held Ogun state ransom in the third set 25 to 23 points before Ogun came back from behind to win the fourth set by 25-17. Kaduna finally cruised to victory in the fifth set winning by 15 to 13 points.

The Coach of Kaduna men’s team, Adamu Nitte expressed delight over the win against highly rated Ogun state.

Nitte revealed that most pundits did not give Kaduna state the chance of winning the finals adding that the Ogun team crushed all their opponents before entering into the finals.

He said 10 players out of the squad are making their debut at the National Sports Festival.

He said, “I am overwhelmed and cannot express myself because I am overfilled with joy. Kaduna was not the favourite to win the National Sports Festival but God is our strength and fortress.

“Ogun state is a very good side looking at their statistics but my boys did not respect them. 10 of my players are playing the National Sports Festival for the first time and this win will further boost their profile”.

He commended the Chairman of Kaduna State Volleyball Association, Engineer Musa Nimrod for believing in the team.

Meanwhile, Rivers State beat Kano state to win the men’s bronze at the 2022 National Sports Festival.

By Dare Kuti

The gods of the foreigners by now will be laughing at the gods of our land (Nigeria); Sango, Obatala, Oya, Amadioha, Ikuku etc while the dead Baloguns must be weeping profusely in their graves.

How can sports of foreigners be made compulsory at our own indigenous sports festival while our own Tiwan Tiwan sports relegated, i mean totally removed. I always tell people close to me that I am an African man (FIRST) before chosing the white man religion; an Asian, American or European will never chose an African sport over theirs. My Late extended Uncle, Fela ANIKULAPO Kuti sang a song titled: “Kolomentality”, I’ll suggest you listen to it during your spare time.

Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Judo, Kickboxing, Tai Chi are all traditional sports of Asians, how on earth can we choose them over ours. When you visit most states in the North, Dambe is watched more than football; spectators leave their various houses, shops and work to watch Dambe because it reminds them of their origin. In fact, Dambe is our MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) due to its brutality.

In the Southern part of Nigeria, Kokowa is practically their way of life. Kokowa is fought at every traditional occasion including New Yam Festival. It is also on record that most of Nigeria wrestlers that hails from Bayelsa were once Kokowa wrestlers while others are very much active. I’m sure some of us know the slogan of the Offa people in Kwara; it states “Ijakadi loro offa”.

Back to our National Council on Sports that decided not to leave the Traditional Sports as option but sanctioned the removal. They are indirectly disrespecting the gods of the land, all the traditional rulers, all the chieftaincy holders in the land and all the masquerades (awon Ara orun).

Traditional Sports reminds us about our history, how wars were won and lost; reminding us of who we truly are. Nigeria has always dominated West Africa whenever we participate in the events. Traditional Sports is not expensive to organise and not time consuming like other sports listed at the forthcoming National Sports Festival.

I don’t know if the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare who doubles as the Chairman of the National Council on Sports has forgotten in a hurry that he is a titled Chief (the highest in Ogbomosho) bestowed by the Late Soun of Ogbomosho.

If other members of the National Council on Sports and host of the National Sports Festival (Delta State) are using their left hand to point at the Traditional Sports, the representative of all the Chiefs (Sunday Dare) should be the one to uphold our tradition. Dear Chief Sunday Dare, you are not only the Agba Akin of Ogbomosho but the Agba Akin of all the Traditional Sports in Nigeria.

I am using this medium to call on all the Kings (1st, 2nd and 3rd class), Queens (Oloris), Traditional Rulers, Chiefs (including Chief priests) in the North, East, West and South in Nigeria, market women, lovers of traditional sports, Director of Sports, Commissioner of Sports, House of Representatives and Senate Members on Sports and ultimately the Federal Government of Nigeria to help appeal to the National Council on Sports to include Traditional Sports.

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has always lay emphasis on patronizing home made products and Trado Sports is our own.

God bless you all

Sporting greetings to the sports community, families, athletes and the para- athletes who have been agitating over the removal of their sport at the forthcoming National Sports festival. I had wanted to keep mute over the issue of the removal of the Para Sports ahead of the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta but my phone had not stopped buzzing since Monday (17th October, 2022).

Some agitated para athletes staged a peaceful protest at the National Stadium in Surulere last Monday to express their displeasure over the removal of most of the para events while leaving three events. The National Council on Sports broke the camel back on Wednesday by announcing that no para sports will feature at the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta later this year.

Well, it is a good thing that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development ably led by chief Sunday Akin Dare have decided to create a National Para Sports Festival but the timing for the non inclusion of the para sports is wrong.

Fortunately, the first edition of the National Para Sports Festival was held in Abuja last April and some states could not participate because they did not have budget. Those that made it to the festival had to stage some demonstration before the state governments decided to squeeze out money from their respective sport council and sport commission to attend the maiden edition.

If you paid attention, you will notice that the power house of Sports in Nigeria like Delta, Lagos, Edo, Osun States and few other could not send their representation. This led to some athletes disguising under the umbrella of clubs.

Fast forward to this time around, news filtering around is that of the National Council of Sports in Nigeria met and decide to remove three sport- the para sport that are making Nigeria proud and will continue to make Nigeria proud at future competitions. This implies that athletes like Bose Omolayo, Oluwafeimayo Alice, Innocent Nnamdi, Precious Orji, Latifat Tijani and many others will not be partaking in any national festival this year

If you notice the para- power lifters always come to our rescue when Nigeria is in need of medals. We have World Record holders, Commonwealth Games record holders Paralympic Games record holders who are making the country proud. It is the same thing with Para Table- Tennis and Para Athletes; they made Nigeria proud in this year commonwealth games.

So, it would be a disservice to treat them less human. We know the Minister of Youth and Sports have good intentions but the intentions are coming at the wrong time.

We should use the first edition of para- festival as a test- run and we should not disengage those that did not participate in April because many people are keen on attending the festival in Asaba.

We know the winners of the festival in some States gets as much as one million naira. And we all know what this one million can do in the lives of some of them. Some of them use it to pay their house rents and feed their families. You would also be surprised that if they don’t go to the national sport Festival in Dellta state the rate of unemployment in the country will increase.

It will be an eyesore to see Commonwealth Games champions and Paralympians going to streets to beg when they have other source of livelihood which includes the National Sports Festival

We are appealing to Directors of Sports in Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to reconcile. It isnot yet late to include the para sport, the various sports Council and commission already have this para athlete included in their budget. So it is not going to be extra expenses. Their money is already there. So, I am appealing to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development as well as the National Council on Sports to include the para sports into the National Sports Festival. If we don’t, they will think you are doing them a great harm.

We are calling on well meaning Nigerians, traditional rulers, religious rulers and Ex International to appeal to the sport authority to consider bringing back the paradigm and include the para sports into the National Sports Festival.

Lanreleke Sports Academy is a co-educational, fully residential and specialist Senior Secondary School, which boost of a world-class sports facility was founded in 2021.

Managing Director of Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd, Engr Olanrewaju Adeleke in his remarks expressed his delights.

“We are delighted that all ball games of southwest zonal qualification of the National Sports Festival (tagged Delta 2022), will be hosted at the Lanreleke Sports Academy in Ileogbo and Bowen University.

“It will be a beehive of activities here at the Lanreleke Sports facility in the next four days, as seven ball games will be hosted here.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the Planning Committee members for their commitment as we showcase our facility to the world.

“Here at the Lanreleke Sports Academy, we are raising talents to become future champions. 58 students were offered admission in our maiden session, this year about 65 students have gained admission and they are all on full scholarships.

“The closing ceremony is billed for Bowen University, as the two institutions have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the area of academy and sports.”

In an address delivered by the Osun State Commissioner for Sports, Honourable Azeez Olayemi Lawal, he itemized sed the importance of the event, as he charged the umpires on fairness.

“There are a lot of benefits the event will accord the State, economic boost of Ileogbo, showcasing the facilities within the state, as well as making friends among the participants.

“The organizers and officials must maintain fairness in their judgment as this is the only panacea through which the best teams (athletes) that will do the zone proud can be identified.”

Over 800 athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti State will be participating in football, basketball, handball, volleyball, hockey, base/softball and beach volleyball.

The 21st edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF) which was earlier scheduled to take place between 2-15 November, will now hold from 28 November till 10 December.

Says Sports Minister has Brought High Level Commitment to Sports Development in Nigeria

The Governor of Delta State and chief host of the 21st National Sports Festival, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has showered encomiums on the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare for his commitment to sports development in Nigeria.

Speaking in Asaba, Delta State at the unveil ceremony of the mascot and logo of the National Sports Festival(Delta 2022) on Wednesday, Governor Okowa also congratulated him for the giant strides made for the country.

His words: “I must truly thank the Honourable Minister for the way he is taking sports development in this nation. He has brought a high level of commitment to sports development in Nigeria yet he remains so humble in his approach.

“I believe that is the reason why some of us are very much encouraged to work with him to see what best can be done for Nigeria. We notice the work he is doing and are proud of him in this respect.”

Governor Okowa also revealed that the Sports Minister is one of the major reasons Delta State never hesitates to support Nigerian athletes and sports generally anytime the Ministry comes calling.

In his address much earlier, the Sports Minister Sunday Dare thanked Governor Okowa for always being there for Nigerian sportsmen and women, praising him for his commitment to sports development in an era where most of his colleagues still regard sports as mere recreation or ‘play, play’.

“You stand head and shoulders high among your peers when it comes to your courage and commitment in this area. And we know for sure that you will bring all these to bear in the execution of the 21st National Sports Festival in November 2022,” Dare said.

Over Sixteen thousand(16,000) athletes from across the country will converge on Delta State to compete for medals in forty(40) sports from November 2 – 15, 2022.

Partisan politics took the back seat as sports once again proved to be the unifier of Nigerians when the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and a host of other important dignitaries on Wednesday night in Asaba, Delta State unveiled the mascot for the 2022 National Sports Festival in an elaborate and colourful ceremony.

The chief host, Dr Okowa promised that Asaba will put up a show that the whole of the country will be proud of when the National Sports Festival begins later in the year.

According to him, “The National Sports Festival is Nigeria’s version of the Olympic Games and Delta will make it an unforgettable experience for everyone.”

In his own remarks, Sports Minister Sunday Dare said the National Sports Festival is no longer an event that would go unnoticed in the country.

His words: “The National Sports Festival must come with pomp, pageantry and colourful ceremonies. It is no longer a corridor event. It is a classy event reminiscent of the Olympic Games.

“Asaba is really ready with the unveiling of the Games Mascot. These are some of the little details obtainable at the Olympics and it is on display here in Delta State.”

Dare further charged the various committees to ensure that 2022 National Sports Festival delivers a world class competition that sets a standard for the future through its planning and execution.

The unveiling of the mascot officially flags off the marketing activities of the Games scheduled to hold in November 2022.

The Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare has charged states across the nation to imbibe the Delta Model in a bid to enhance the development of grassroots sports in the country.
Chief Dare gave the charge in Asaba when he undertook an inspection tour of the Steven Keshi International Stadium, Asaba to ascertain the level of the states preparedness to host the 2022 National Sports Festival.
The Minister who was conducted round the facilities by the Chairman of the State Sports Commission and President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Chief Tonobok Okowa  said Delta remained the leader in Nigerian sports and the model it had been working with had helped it maintain that lead over the years.
He said that other states that had imbibed the model have also reaped the fruits saying states like Lagos, Kwara, Kano and Edo had emulated the Sports Commission model introduced by Delta State and the result had been heart warming over the years.
Chief Dare also enjoined states to invest more in the sports sector stressing that such investments will always bear fruits as athletes who get more support tend to excel in their sports.
According to him Delta States investments over the years was evident in the quality of athletes it had produced saying the need to enhance the development of sports at the grassroots was not only to discover budding talents but to give them the platform to be showcased to the international community.
The Minister had inspected to level of work done in the new Indoor Sports Hall, at the Steven Keshi International Stadium, Asaba where he expressed confidence in the states ability to deliver the facility before the commencement of the Games in November.
He also visited the Old Indoor Sports Hall at the Steven Keshi International stadium as well as the main-bowl and the Event Center which is expected to host Table Tennis Event and most of the combat sports including Boxing.

The National Sports Festival, NSF, is set for a major review after the 20th Sports festival which was held in Benin City, Edo State.

The review, which will be along the lines of strengthening the games, athletes’ protection and template for bidding among other things will have a committee announced soon.

The Sports Minister, Mr Sunday Dare disclosed this during a courtesy call to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Sunday.

Mr. Dare stated that “There is a new template for the NSF which will have a 360 geo political spread. This spread will be introduced such that we move it for the northwest zone to bid this year and two years later it goes to the southwest so that it moves around the whole country.”

The Minister highlighted that this is the only way to avoid the scenario of back to back hosting of the games within the same geo political zone.

He said, “The terms of reference for a committee to review the National Sports Festival will be stated clearly and we would look at how to  further strengthen the NSF for better sports Development.

“We have started the process and next week we will announce the review committee,” the Minister stated.

Signed
*Media office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development*

The Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) hosted the Silver medalist Team Lagos men’s and women’s football teams at the just concluded 2020 National Sports Festival in Benin City on Sunday at the Soccer Temple, Agege.

LSFA Chairman who also double as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi appreciated Team Lagos Football teams and urged the players to focus on their career and education.

“We are here to welcome you back home and to say thank you to the team’s contingent, coaches, players, and backroom staff, we are proud of you all. We appreciate your attitude and the kind of football you played. Your progress is our mission, you have got the experience and you all will be stronger. You all have made us proud,” emotional Akinwunmi said.

Akinwunmi commended the Lagos State government and the Sports Commission for their support despite the challenges the team encountered during the qualifiers and accreditation of players for the Festival.

“We appreciate the Lagos State government and the Lagos State Sports Commission for their support. We are ready to support your progress, we know what we have done to support different kids in Lagos, footballers and also those willing to acquire education. We have saved a lot from slavery contracts as well.

“Football is gradual, with the right support you will get there. You have to take the right steps, if you are patient you will get there. You all need education, educated players is a better player. An educated player as security after playing.

“We are not interested in football agencies, we are only interested in your success. We are here to guide you and support your progress. This is the beginning for you all, you have to continue working hard. The glory is for us in Lagos, this is the reason why we have to work together as a family. My board members have been fantastic and we are proud that our work has come to fruition.”

LSFA Vice-Chairman Otunba Tade Azeez described the team’s podium finish as the ‘Golden’ Silver medal.

“We are proud of your performance, it was a Golden Silver finish for us. We heard what happened in Edo State, irrespective of that, we are proud of your performance,” an elated Azeez said.

The head coach of the men’s team, Hamidi Suleiman shower praises on his boys for their performance in Benin City despite the drama and intimidation in the final game.

He said; “We appreciate the opportunity for us to compete in the Festival, I want to salute my boys for their performance despite the challenges in Benin City. It was an amazing experience and I think we were good ambassadors of the State. We lost in the final, football is a game of chance, but despite losing the final game, we were the center of attention for those at the stadium.”

The captain of the women’s team, Asooto Franca narrated the experience they garnered at the Festival.

“In our first game, we played with just eight players because of clearance issues, but we were still able to secure a result. Then, the issue of penalties came up as a tiebreaker for the team that would progress and we survived the hurdle. Our performance in the semifinal was superb and I think we gave our best in the final. The experience wasn’t good in the final, tensed atmosphere and intimidation,” Franca revealed.

The highly rated Sports administrator was joined by other top personals to give out the customised match balls to all 8 teams that participated at the Football event of the National Sports Festival.

Amos Adamu who was one time Director General of the National Sports Commission was thrilled that a Nigerian Clubside can think of having their own customised match balls, stressing that it is the right step to move the club to greater heights.

Receiving the match balls on behalf of Team Edo, Captain of the side and Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Phillip Shuabu thanked the management of the team for reaching out to all the teams that participated at the Football Event of the National Sports Festival, saying other clubs in Nigeria should emulate the NWFL Championship side, by going into selling of merchandise that will bring in profits.

Barrister Paul Edeh, President of Naija Ratels FC who was represented by Coach Bankole Oloowokere said it was a pleasure to give out the match balls to the football participating teams, stating that football is the sports played most consistently in the world.

“Football is loved by all, that’s one of the reasons we decided to give our customised match balls to all Football participating teams in the National Sports Festival.

“The Naija Ratels customised ball is strong, iconic and reflects the values of the Clubside as we are planning of building a big fan base across all quarters.

Naija Ratels is an NWFL Championship side, based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and is owned by Legal Luminary, Barrister Paul Edeh.