The Kwara State Sports Commission has announced the exclusion of football from its lineup for the upcoming National Youth Games, scheduled to take place in Asaba, Delta State from September 9 to September 19.
Despite a strong representation in 24 other sports, football will not be among the disciplines Kwara will compete in.
The sports included in Kwara's participation are Athletics, Badminton, Cricket, Basketball, Boxing, Chess, Cycling, Darts, Deaf Athletics, Fives, Golf, Judo, Karate, Para Athletics, Para Table Tennis, Rugby, Scrabble, Squash, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, and Weightlifting.
Alh. Ibrahim Bako, Director of Sports for Kwara State, cited financial reasons for the omission of football.
"The exclusion is due to the state government's decision not to allocate funds for team sports, including football," Bako explained.
He added that team sports, like football, were advised to seek external sponsorship to cover the costs of zonal eliminations and the main tournament.
Bako noted that the football team failed to participate in the zonal eliminations, leading to their inability to compete in the National Youth Games. Consequently, the state's delegation will consist of 144 athletes across the participating sports.
The Kwara State team is scheduled to depart for Asaba on Monday, September 9, at 6:30 a.m.
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