By Nurullahi Babangida
Team Kano will be participating in six team sports events at the National Youth Games which will be held in Asaba, Delta State after the completion of the Northwest zonal elimination in Kaduna State.
The Kano team arrived Kaduna with 150 contingents comprising athletes and officials for the zonal elimination.
In Football male team, Kano defeated Kaduna by one goal to nil, to emerged winner, Kano Female Basketball team defeated Kaduna by 12 – 6, in Male Kaduna 19 – 6 Kano.In the Handballs male team, Kano emerged winner against Kaduna by 17 – 13 points while Zamfara beats Kano 13 -0 in the male Hockey.
Team Kano qualifed in Basketball female and male, Rugby Male and female, Handballs male, Volleyball male, Hockey male and Football male but only failed to qualify in Cricket.
Assessing the performance of the athletes, Chairman Kano State Commission Alh. Ibrahim Umar Fagge (FIFA) described the outing as impressive performance from the parts of the athletes.
According to him, Kano qualifed in six events out of the seven games they have registered in the zonal elimination, adding that preparation for the National Youths Games has already commenced having qualifed in the zone which he described as the toughest in the country. He however stressed the need for the athletes to push for gold medals.
Ibrahim FIFA said they will work round the clock to ensure that every team is strengthened again before the competition proper, pointing out that he is optimistic that the athletes would give Kano good representation at the national youths game.He said Kano is fully prepared for the next coming National Youth Games and will participate in 19 to 20 different games.
He also hinted that about 150 to 200 athletes will represent Kano state at the Detal NYG 2025.The games would commence from 26th August to 6th September, 2025.