Businessmen urged to contribute to sports development

Zabzugu, (N/R), July 26, GNA - Alhaji Boniface Abu-Bakar Saddique, Northern Regional Minister has urged private businessmen, corporate bodies and philanthropist to contribute to the development of sports in the country.

He said government alone cannot bear the cost of providing the needed facilities for the development of sports and called on stakeholders of sports to contribute their quota by constructing basketball and handball courts in schools as well as the provision of sports equipment. Alhaji Saddique said this when he opened the 18th Northern Regional Basic Inter-Districts Sports Festival at Zabzugu in the Zabzugu/Tatale District on Monday.

He said sporting activities were now a lucrative industry where businessmen could invest through the provision hotel facilities among others to attract tourist and also promote internal tourism. The districts are to compete in soccer, volleyball, table tennis, netball, athletics and cross-country.

Alhaji Boniface cautioned the sports boys and girls to refrain from the use of drugs and early sex and asked them to "submit themselves to good conduct under responsible tutelage to enable them progress in life". The Regional Minister appealed to the officiating officials, participants and supporters to abide by the rules and regulations of the games and show a high sense of responsibility and self-control in order to avoid unnecessary confrontations to ensure a peaceful Festival. Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, Zabzugu/Tatale District Chief Executive said the purpose of the sFestival was to unearth the various sporting talents of the youth to groom them for national events.

He however appealed to the youth not to concentrate all their attention to sports at the expense of their studies, adding that sports and intellectual development are supposed to complement each another. A opening football match was played between the host District (Zabzugu/Tatale) and the Nanumba District.