By Mike Oboh
Kano State Director of Sports in the State Sports Commission, Alhaji Basheer Maizare is optimistic the State will unseat Delta State in the ongoing 19th National Sports Festival holding in Abuja.
Maizare said despite the medal hauls of Delta State in the festival, his State has the athletes who can deliver as they compete in areas of their comparative advantage.
He said from the look of things, the State will top the table when the festival comes to a close on Sunday, saying “We are less concerned about the outlook of the table now, the games are still on and with what I have seen from our team, Delta is beatable.
” In 1989 and 1998 festivals we came second and for this year, the top spot is our target, our athletes are highly motivated to excel.
“We must show appreciation to our able governor, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje and his deputy, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna for their full support, so the only way we can reciprocate is by emerging the overall winner,” Maizare said.
He said with the adequate preparations and the high motivation from the government, our athletes are in the right frame of mind to battle for honors in the remaining events.
He said the State was competing in 24 sports event and with the way the athletes have performed, he is hopeful the people of the State will come out en masse to welcome back home as the games end on Sunday.
Maize, who described the 19th National Sports Festival as the Olympic version of our competition, noted that the best would be picked among the competitors who will fly the nation’s flag in both continental and global levels.
