A total number of 296 Kwara contingent have departed for Asaba, Delta state venue for the 21st edition of the National Sports Festival ‘tagged’ Asaba 2022.
The contingent was addressed by the the Executive Chairman of Kwara State Sports Commission, Coach Bola Magaji who urged the State contingent to be good ambassador of the state at the 21st edition of the National sports festival.
Speaking to newsmen on Monday in his office, Magaji disclosed that a total number of 203 athletes and 93 officials will be representing the State in 24 sporting events at the festival.
AThe Chairman, who didn’t reveal the amount released by State government for the prosecution of the exercise expressed optimism that the State will win laurels as he highlighted para table tennis, squash and badminton as potential medal hauling events for the contingent.
He noted the fact that the state didn’t participate in the zonal qualifiers event as the major reason why the state is not presenting representatives for team sports at the main event in Asaba.
“We didn’t participate in the zonal elimination and the organizers discourage the idea of sharing the slots amongst the member state so as not to set such standard for the subsequent editions” he said
The Chairman pointed out the that invitation for the elimination came late to the state hence the sponsorship from the State didn’t also come forth on time.
“It will be very difficult for me to to open up on the amount the government released- it’s a secret but at the end of the day, anybody can come back and find out if the funds are properly spent or not” he said while asked on the fund released by the government.
Magaji added “The State government has done excellently well for us that’s why we are going with the large amount of athletes”.
The Chairman revealed that the athletes will be given N2,500 per day as allowance in the festival, adding that the state has also paid the organizers for feeding and housing of athletes through the festival’s arrangement.
While stressing that it’s within the right of the Governor to reward the athletes’ performance after the festival, Magaji promised to personally encourage any atheles that win medal at the event with amount of N10,000.
Message to athletes
Recalling how the state won the best appearance award at the last edition of the festival, Magaji charged the athletes to maintain the standard.
“I want use this medium to charge all the athletes to be a good ambassador of the State. They shouldn’t be involved in drugs because we are not focusing much on winning medals by all cost”
The opening ceremony of the festival will hold on Wednesday, November 30 at Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, the capital of Delta State while the closing ceremony is also billed for the same venue on December 10.
Kwara placed 15th on the final medal table of the last edition of the festival which held at Edo State after winning a total number of 44 medals which includes seven gold, six silver and 31 bronze medals.