The Niger government says it has approved N30 million for the 21st National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled for Asaba in Delta from Nov. 28 to Dec. 10.
Alhaji Baba Sheshi, the Director of Sports in the state Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Development, announced this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday.
“We thank the state government for approving N30 million to enable us purchase equipment and to prosecute the 2022 NSF in Delta,” he said.
Sheshi said that 124-man contingent from the state made up of 96 athletes and 28 officials would participate in 20 sports during the fiesta.
He said that the events include athletics, boxing, badminton, canoeing, chess, gulf, handball, hockey, judo and karate.
Others are kick-boxing, para-athletics, scrabble, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, long tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu-kungfu.
The director said that one week camping had already begun for the athletes in Minna.
He said that the state contingent would leave Minna on Nov. 28 to meet the inauguration of the games on Nov. 30.
Sheshi said that government had inaugurated a fund-raising committee to source for money for camping of the athletes.
“The committee is still working, so far we have realised more than N2 million,” he said.
NAN recalls that in the 20th NSF in Benin, tagged “Edo 2020” Niger finished 21st with three gold, two silver and seven bronze medals. (NAN)
