Olabisi Joseph says the Nigeria Schools Sports Federation will continue to encourage kids participation in sports by providing opportunities to develop their sports skills, Sports247 reports.
The president made this known at the closing ceremony of the 1st Basic Education School Sport (BESS) Games, held in Abuja over the weekend.
The game which was organised by Nigeria School Sports Federation held between November 6 -15 2024 saw over one thousand primary schools pupils from 25 states including FCT, participate in over forty events which spreads across Athletics, Ayo, Badminton, Chess, Table Tennis, Football, Scrabble, Handball, and Volleyball.
The platform provided exciting primary schools talented to be discovered as Gabriel-Okon dazzled with her gold medal performances in the girls’ 100m, 200m, 400m, and 4x100m relay, contributing four of Akwa Ibom’s six gold medals to emerge as the best Athletes of the game.
Ondo State emerged as the overall winner with a total of 31 medals, comprising nine gold, 13 silver, and nine bronze medals.
Akwa Ibom followed in second place with six gold, five silver, and six bronze medals, while host Abuja finished third with five gold, three silver, and nine bronze medals.
NSSF President, Olabisi Joseph, commended UBEC and the participating states for their commitment, which made the tournament a success.
At the closing ceremony Olabisi Joseph emphasized the event’s role in showcasing talent, fostering sportsmanship, and promoting national unity and reaffirmed the commitment of the Federation to nurture and encourage young athletes .
“As we close this chapter, we start a new journey to nurture and encourage our young athletes to keep participating in sports, giving them opportunities to compete in global and continental events. We look forward to the next edition,” she said.
Hamid Bobboy, Universal Basic Education Council, UBEC, praised the athletes’ performances, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to school sports development.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, represented by his Special Adviser, Technical, Bawa Michael, highlighted the athletes’ performances as evidence of the country’s abundant sporting talent.
The closing ceremony was attended by notable figures, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Mukhtar Shagaya; the Dean of Chairmen, SUBEB, Professor Shehu Adaramaja; Director of Academy Services, UBEC, Mr. Roseline Medubi; and SUBEB Chairman from Abuja, Ekiti, Borno, and Anambra.
