The initiator of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Mr. Igoche Mark, has commended the Nasarawa State Government for its sustained investment in sports development and youth empowerment.
Mark gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Kwanta Bohar, where he praised Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration for using sports as a platform for economic growth, talent development, and social cohesion.He noted that the state’s deliberate sports policies were already yielding results, citing the strong performance of Nasarawa United Football Club, which is currently among the top teams in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
Mark also highlighted ongoing infrastructure development, including the upgrade of the Lafia City Stadium, and lauded talent discovery initiatives such as the annual Governor’s Cup and the state’s participation in the National Sports Festival. According to him, Nasarawa’s approach to grassroots sports development is a model other states should emulate. Responding, Commissioner Bohar said the administration’s focus is to deploy sports as a tool to reduce youth unemployment and promote peace across the state.
He explained that the Ministry organises the Governor’s Cup football tournament across all 13 local government areas to identify grassroots talent, while also supporting competitions in other sports to broaden opportunities for young athletes.
