The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sports Festival

  • Jonathan, governors to hoist flags for Sports festival

    Jonathan, governors to hoist flags for Sports festival

    President Goodluck Jonathan will hoist the national flag at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on November 3 as part of activities leading to the 18th National Sports Festival.

    The Secretary of the festival’s Main Organising Committee, Alhaji Abba Yola, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.

    NAN reports that the festival is scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium and other venues in Lagos from November 27 to December 9.

    The contingent from the Federal Capital Territory and the 36 states of the federation would be participating in the festival, with more than 22,000 athletes and accompanying officials expected to feature.

    “President Jonathan, who is also the festival’s Grand Patron, will be the Special Guest at the occasion, tagged “Flag Hoisting Ceremony” and scheduled for the stadium’s Main Bowl, where he will hoist the national flag.

    “He will be joined by the governors of the 36 states and the FCT minister, who will all also hoist their states’ flags at the venue.

    “This event, the hoisting of flags, is to practically demonstrate the festival as a symbol of oneness and will also serve as an endorsement for the event,’’ Yola said.

     

  • 18th NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL Ogun athletes intensify training

    18th NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL Ogun athletes intensify training

    •Amosun rehabilitates Alake Sport Centre 

    OGUN STATE Government says it will carry- out a total renovation and rehabilitation of all the facilities at the Alake Sport Centre, Ijaiye Abeokuta to international standard.

    The State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun stated this when he visited the sport centre to congratulate the State athletics for doing well at the just concluded Southwest One Team Sport Elimination in Ibadan where the State qualified for nine Sports out of the thirteen on offer at the elimination.

    Governor Amosun who expressed dismay at the level of decadence of the facilities many of them built over twenty-five years back praised Team Ogun athletes for excelling at different national and international competitions despite the dilapidated structures.

    He therefore promised to overhaul all the facilities as a way of providing enabling environment so that the athletes will continue to give-out their best.

    Governor Amosun, however, called on the athletes to reciprocate government gesture by putting more effort and charge them to do the state proud at the forthcoming National Sports Festival “Eko 2012”

    He said: “Continue to train hard and go for gold in Lagos. Let me assure you that I will be with you in Lagos to encourage you and once you deliver, the state government will reward you adequately.”

    Governor Amosun did not forget to tell Ogun State athletes to be disciplined and avoid any act that will tarnish the good image of the State saying as state ambassadors they must serve as good examples to other states during the National Sports Festival.

    Responding on behalf of Team Ogun athletes, the Vice Captain Ephraim Daniel thanked the Governor and his entourage for the visit and promised his colleagues resolve to do the state proud at the “Eko 2012”.

    He was also full of praise to the State governor for deciding to upgrade the facilities at the Alake Sport Centre to International standard while reminding the Governor on the need to continue to improve the welfare of the athletes.

  • Fashola receives sports festival’s torch

    Fashola receives sports festival’s torch

    All is set for the commencement of the National sport festival as President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday handed the festival touch to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.

    Lagos State is hosting the 18th edition of the bi-annual event tagged “Eko 2012.”

    The sport festival starts on November 27.

    Jonathan, who is in New York for the 67th session of United Nation General Assembly, was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo who handed the torch over to Governor Fashola.

    The ceremony which lasted about 15 minutes was held at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Tele Ikuru brought the torch to the State House and handed it over to the Director- General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Patrick Ekeji who in turn handed it over to the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi.

    Abdullahi gave the torch to vice president Sambo who later handed it over to Governor Fashola.

    In his short remark, Sambo congratulated the last host of the festival, Rivers State, for the successful hosting and expressed the hope that Lagos State would surpass the feat achieved during the last edition.

    On receiving the torch, Fashola promised that his state would host a championship befitting the proud heritage and history of the festival.

    He said, “Let me say on behalf of the people and government of Lagos State that not only do we commend the people and government of Rivers State for a wonderful show, we are challenged by the privilege of being the host immediately after them.

    “We assure all stakeholders that we will host a championship befitting of the very proud heritage and history of the National Sports Festival and perhaps more importantly to say that as I receive this torch of unity and as it begins its journey round this country, it will serve the purpose for which it was inaugurated in the very first place: to unify and bring closer our people through sports.”

    Speaking to journalists at the end of the ceremony, Fashola that his state was prepared to meet the timeline set by the organising committee for the facilities meant for the event to be ready.

    He said the state was poised to host a championship that would meet all the objectives of the festival not only in terms unifying Nigerians but also in terms of achieving talent development in sports and bringing harmony into the sector.