Shekarau honours Unity Cup champs
By ADAMU ABDULLAHI
LAST year’s winners of Unity Cup football competition, Shekarau Babes FC of Kano state were over the weekend honoured by the state government.
Speaking at a dinner party organised in honour of the players and officials of the team, the state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau said the team has made the state proud.
Governor Shekarau stated that his administration would continue to support sporting activities in the state with a view to encouraging young talent excel in various games.
He noted that sport has been in the forefront in strengthening a friendly relation among societies of different nations.
To this end, the governor said, his adminisation has already directed the state ministry of education to revive inter school games competitions with aview to discovering new talents among youth in the state.
Malam Shekarau then advised the players to remain hardworking and disciplined in their games, explaining that no amount of hardwork without discipline would be appreciated by the society.
Earlier, the Special Adviser on Sport Development, Alhaji Kabiru Waya, had told the governorn that the team is going to represent the country at the World Youth Festival in Oslo, Norway later in the year.
‘’Football has become a black untapped gold, through guidance and good programme, we will be exporting our talents to the outside world at the same time taking care of their educational needs.
‘’We appreciate the efforts of the present government so far in encouraging sportsmen and women. The support given to sports council, the assistance to football clubs who are representing the state at various national amateur competitions as well as release of funds to Kano Pillars Football Club is worthy of appreciating’’, Alhaji Waya explained.
He pledged that the state Sports Council in collaboration with his office would ensure adequate preparation of the boys for future challenges.
Alhaji Waya said keeping young boys together and encouraging them to take sporting activities is a way of making them stay away from dealing with drugs.
The special adviser then appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency to intervene and address the problems of the two contracts of rehabilitation of sports courts at Kofar Mata sports complex and the Race Course.
According to the special adviser, the two contracts have become a source of concern to all sports-loving people of the state as they have been abandoned by the contractors.
Highlights of the occasion included presentation of certificates and gifts to the players and officials of the team.
Others who received certificates and the gifts are former chairman of Nassarawa local government council who doubles as the state chairman of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and Malam Ado Salisu of Triumph newspapers.