Tuesday 29 January 2013

Edo, Abia, 11 others missing at National School Sports Festival

by Olalekan Okusan

OVER 24 states, including Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, are in Port Harcourt for the Fifth National School Sports Festival, but some states noted for their prowess in sports, including Edo and Abia, are among the 13 states that are missing at the fiesta.
Besides Edo and Abia, other states that are not in Port Harcourt are Bayelsa, Benue, Kebbi, Imo, Gombe, Enugu, Plateau, Yobe, Zamfara, Taraba and Nasarawa.
The development, which The Guardian learnt might force the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) to axe absentee teams, has generated a lot of flak among stakeholders in Nigerian sports.
An official of NSSF, who pleaded anonymity, said that it was disheartening for any state to deny the students the opportunity to showcase their talents in such a national competition.
“I don’t know why any state should absent itself from the school sports festival, because they have denied the students the opportunity to compete with their counterparts, as well as interact with their colleagues across the country.
“The fiesta is not about sports, but it is another education for the students as they are going to a place they had never visited before, so I think this is not too good for states to miss the competition and experience,” he said.
Although, there has not been a formal declaration from the NSSF on the penalty for absentee states, the source told The Guardian that the issue would be considered during the annual general meeting (AGM) in March.
TheGuardian

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