Date: 2018-07-25

Four thousand athletes and officials are expected to be in Ilorin, Kwara State to participate in the 20th edition of the 2018 Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA) slated to hold in November, the organisers have said.

According to a report made available to The Guardian yesterday, 6000 supporters, made up of students from 41 Federal and states polytechnics in Nigeria, will also be part of the event.

Speaking ahead of the NIPOGA Games, Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, Alhaji Masud Elelu, said NIPOGA, which is the umbrella body of sports organisation for Federal and State Polytechnics in Nigeria, is ready to raise the standard of school sports in the country.

Elelu noted that the NIPOGA Games was organised based on consensus agreement by stakeholders to encourage sports competition among all accredited Nigerian Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria since 1976.

The Rector highlighted many benefits of the games, which is to ensure peaceful co-existence among Nigerians and to discover and nurture sports talents in higher institutions for national assignments.

Other benefits, according to him, include building friendship among Nigerian polytechnics and colleges of technology, maintain and sustain physically fit and mentally alert youths in Nigeria.

Elelu also added that the sports fiesta would draw government and citizens' attention to the benefits of investing in youths, and generate sponsorship for talented Nigerian youths within and outside the country.

He, however, called on corporate organisations to assist in sponsoring the event to lift the standard of the games.

The Rector disclosed that Messrs Makarovs Global Resources Ltd has been appointed to help look for funds, partnership from corporate institutions and also take charge of branding for the games.

Also speaking at the event, the local organising chairman, Lanre Idowu said the institution is set to make the 20th edition of the games the best in its history. He revealed that work on all the facilities for the games are 80 percent completed, while the indoor sports hall is fully ready.

Idowu added that athletes would compete in 15 events at the games, including table tennis, tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball, handball, scrabble, chess, football, judo, hockey, squash, taekwondo, athletics and draught.