Plans have reached an advance stage by the Niger state Government to host the Mohammed Umar Bago North Central Badminton Championship in Minna soon.
The Chairman Niger state Badminton Association and Special Adviser to Niger state Governor Political and Strategy, Malam Mohammed Nma Kolo stated this while addressing Newsmen in Minna after hosting the winners of gold, silver and bronze medalists in Badminton at the just concluded National Sport Festival held in Ogun state to a warm reception.
Malam Nma Kolo explained that a committee to be saddled with the responsibility of organizing a befitting championship would be set up soon to achieve the desired objective.
He said after briefing the Niger state Governor, Umar Bago on the feat achieved by the Badminton contingents for winning a gold, silver and bronze medal for Niger state, the Governor was thrilled and assured him of his readiness to host honour them at a later date, because honour he said is giving to whom it’s due.
The Chairman Niger state Badminton Association, however said the state is exploiting the opportunity of hosting the twenty twenty eight National Sport Festival in Minna, and is therefore leaving no stone unturn in ensuring the success of their campaign.
According to him Niger state is ambitious of hosting the National event and that they are doing everything humanly possible to meet the standard, saying that a state of the earth swimming pool and a stadium will hopely be ready before year twenty twenty eight to pave way for hosting the all important event.
He said with Governor Umar Bago at the helm of affairs, whom he described as a keen sportsman that had his people at heart, nothing is impossible in Niger state and expressed optimism that all facilities needed to host the National Sport Festival would be ready for the go ahead.
Malam Nma Kolo called for collective effort in the development of sport, stressing that sport is a lucrative business as such should not be left in the hand of government alone, and therefore charged corporate and philanthropic organisations to invest their resources in sport development.
He however explained that the idea and initiative of catch them young adopted by the Niger state Badminton Association has been yielding positive results because presently they have twenty eight youths ranging from ten eleven twelve and thirteen years doing well, and that he had been rendering them all the necessary support to play Badminton as well to further their education.
Malam Nma Kolo added that they also plan to organize an inter state Badminton competition soon to catch them young at the grassroot level for maximum benefit.
The event coincided with his fifty ninth year anniversary celebration of the Jawon Minna, Malam Mohammed Nma Kolo in which goodwill messages were presented at the occasion.
END ALIYU LAWAL.
