Kwara 2013 NSSF: Niger target more medals, as Kano rues handball loss

Niger State has announced their intention to win more medals in the ongoing Sterling Bank-sponsored 6th National School Sports Festival holding in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Director of Schools Sports, Niger State, Abdulmumini Madami, said with few sports remaining to be concluded, the state expects to clinch more medals in the competition which finally comes to a close on Saturday.

Madami said with the support from the state government, school sports has come to stay in Niger, and the development of sports at the grass root in the state has become imminent.

“What we have going for us is the interest of the Governor in sports. Luckily enough we have a Governor that has love for the Nigerian child and this has informed the administration of Babangida Aliu Muazu to revive school sports in Niger State. To achieve this he established the Directorate School Sports in the Ministry of Education and since the inception of this administration, the schools in Niger State have evolved in class competitions, school based competitions, inter house sports competitions, and all these are geared towards discovering talents at the grass root,” he said.

He further said: “This started at the beginning of School Sports competitions. Being at this year’s edition in Kwara State, in preparing we started at the local government level, and state level then to the School Sports Festival to represent Niger State. The government has left no stone unturned to ensure that Niger State is well represented.

Meanwhile, Kano State Handball coach, Auwalu Yakubu has said that his team will do better in the next edition of the sports fiesta, while blaming his team’s the lose on late preparations for the Ilorin edition.

Expressing disappointment at the poor show by his wards after losing all their matches in the girl’s handball event, the coach said late preparations has been the bane of the entire contingent to this year’s edition.

“We want to plead with the state government to help us commence preparations early enough. How can you prepare athletes in two weeks for a one-week competition? I don’t think it is proper.

“Talents abound in the state that can represent the country in international competition but we have to discover them early enough, provide the right facilities and environment for their development,” he said.

Yakubu then assured that as the state returns to commence preparation for the next edition, the state would do better as a result of a longer period of preparation.