Ekiti State prepares for sports festival

Ekiti placed 20th at the 17th National Sports Festival (NSF) tagged Garden City Games held in Port Harcourt in 2011 with 4 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze medals. Adewunmi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone on Friday that the festival would be used to select athletes who would represent the state […]

Ekiti placed 20th at the 17th National Sports Festival (NSF) tagged Garden City Games held in Port Harcourt in 2011 with 4 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze medals.

Adewunmi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone on Friday that the festival would be used to select athletes who would represent the state at the upcoming festival to be hosted by Lagos State.

He said emphasis would be placed on grassroots talents, capable of doing the state proud at the festival and other national events.

Adewumi said the state would host the zonal elimination for the ball games, comprising — handball, volleyball and basketball from Sept. 17, to Sept. 22.

He said Osun and Ondo and Ekiti states would participate at the zonal elimination to determine the qualifiers for the Lagos festival.

“By the grace of God, as soon as we finish the zonal elimination, we are going to have the state sports festival to complement things that are on ground.

“So that we can pick one or two athletes that could do us proud at the national sports festival.

“Mr Governor has graciously approved the third Ekiti Sports Festival, come late September.

“We do not go with multitudes. We have our catchy areas and for now, I cannot be specific.

“It is after the zonal elimination that we will know the ball games in which we have qualified then, we will be able to quantify or know the actual number of athletes that will represent Ekiti at the National Sports Festival,’’ he said. (NAN)