By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike has reinstated the FCT Schools Sports Festival after 25 years of abandonment.
The FCT Schools Sports Festival which climaxed on Thursday with different categories of sports, participated by various schools was however christened ” Nyesom Ezenwo Wike FCT School Sports Festival ” .
Wike who was represented by the Mandate Secretary, FCTA Social Development Secretariat, Aminu Ibrahim disclosed that the sports festival has been reinstated to be an annual event that will be used to harvest young talents across various schools in the FCT.
Ibrahim also called on lovers of sports and other stakeholders to partner in developing the sports sector in FCT.
He said, ” The Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike FCT School Sports Festival has come to stay annually in FCT. We expect the support and partnership of our beloved parents and sponsors both nationally and internationally to make sports festival in FCT a tourist attraction.”
Also, the Mandate Secretary, FCTA’s Education Secretariat, Dr Danlami Hayyo said that the Minister was intentional with the commitment to reviving the abandoned sports festival.
Hayyo noted that the festival which started at different eight zones, had revealed that FCT has the capacity to become a hub where the country can rely on for resilient athletes.
He also reiterated the administration’s commitment to give sports development all that is needed to make it interesting and motivating to both pupils and students.
Hayyo noted that the education Secretariat was taking sports development seriously because it promotes integration and unity, while building friendship among the young people.
Hayyo said, ” We call on all sport lovers to partner with the FCT, to make the honourable minister school sport festival, a point of tourism for sport grassroots development.”
” We want the world to see the FCT as a safe heaven to harness talents for sport in Nigeria and the world.”
” The minister of the FCT is a sport loving father and we trust grassroots sports will flourish during his tenure and we believe he will continue to support FCT in all areas of sports for success to be attained.”
The highlights of the festival was the presentation of trophies and medals to the individual athletes and schools for excellent performance.
The Primary school category, the LEA Primary school emerged the overall winner with 7golds. The Junior Secondary School category, JSS Gwako came first with 4 golds, while the Government Secondary school, Karu came first with 9 golds in the SSS category.
