For the second term running, the next National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State will hold without Kwara State contesting in the football event, despite being the defending champions from the last two editions.
The team wasn’t registered for the Zonal elimination, which would have been the route from which they are expected to pick qualification ticket for the main event.
Speaking on his disappointment on the development, the Chairman of Kwara FA, Mallam Idris Abdullahi Musa, popularly known as Thuraya said that the development belittles the pedigree of the state in football in the nation.
“This is a state that is in the forefront in football development in the country, with numerous youth teams and a certain Kwara Football Academy, and its not being represented in a national event. It’s very unfortunate.
The National Youth Games has been scheduled to hold between September 9th to September 19th, 2024, in Asaba, Delta State.
“The most unfortunate side of it was that, the State Sports Commission sent the coach of the team to Kwara FA to tell us that we are to sponsor the team to Zonal Elimination. We have not done that before, and why are we expected to do so now?
“Do other states budget for festival participation without football? The job of the FA is to organise and control the development of the round leather game, and if provisions are being made for national participation, especially at the grassroots level, either for the Youth Games and the National Sports Festival, it’s the government that funds it. Why then remove football?
What then, is the basis for grooming young talented players in the Kwara Football Academy, as well as complementary efforts of other spirited individuals in the state if such opportunities are not being made available to them? It’s very unfortunate.
“I’m sure government provided funds for both elimination and the Youth Games proper. The Commission never called Association Chairmen to report what has been released and hand over responsibilities to Chairmen, as was the case before now.
“The boys trained, prepared for the Games on those two occasions, and were told to go home when their hopes were dashed. The boys cried.
But at a Press briefing today, Saturday September 7, 2024, the Executive Chairman of the Sports Commission, Mallam Bolakale Adisa Magaji said that team events’ qualification are through the Zonal Eliminations, and it’s not the wish of the Commission that football is not captured.
He added that experiences of Beach Soccer participation in Kebbi and Volleyball team in Abuja sometimes ago, where the state government was embarrassed was equally taken into consideration.
He however, apologised to the football family for the exclusion of sport from the Kwara team to the National Youth Games.
Adding a different angle, the Director of Sports, Mallam Ibrahim Bako said that team sports were not included because there was no approval, pointing out that Associations in charge of team sports are being encouraged to sponsor their teams to both Zonal Eliminations and Games proper, just as Cricket and Basketball Association have done.
