Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has approved the resuscitation of the annual state sports festival next July after 41 years.
Bauchi State Director of Sports, Usman Yusuf told www.aclsports.com that the sports festival is scheduled for 10th to 20th July, 2024 at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium.
Usman revealed that the Main Organising Committee has approved a total of 11 sports to feature at the Stats Sports Festival.
The United World Wrestling (UWW) referee said, “All arrangements have been concluded for the commencement of the Bauchi State Sports Festival that includes all the twenty Local Government Councils in the state. The activities of the State Sports Festival will kick start on the 23rd to 24th June, 2024, with a workshop for all the 20 Local Government Sports officers.
“The State Sports Festival proper will start from the 10th to 20th July,2024; with 11 sporting events to be completed among 20 Local Government Councils in the state.
“The approved events are Football, Basketball (men and women), Volleyball (men and women), Handball (men and women), Table Tennis (men and women) as well as Traditional Sports that include Langa, Kokawa, Dambe and Archery (Harbin Kifiya). Other events are Athletics and Para sports
Yusuf commended Governor Bala Mohammed for his plans to reposition sports in Bauchi State.
He said, “In the past, Bauchi State dominated ball games like football, basketball, handball, and volleyball. Bauchi State used to be the Mecca of Sports in the Northern region where other states come to get athletes. The State Government intends to use sports as a tool for reducing youth restiveness in the state and meaningfully engaging the youths, the last time Bauchi hosted the state sports festival was last hosted in 1981.
“One of the aims of the state festival is to discover and identify talents that can represent the state at the forthcoming 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State next January 2025”.
