
By Saidu Abubakar
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has applauded the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports for according the hosting rights to one of the states in the North West zone, specifically, Kano state, to host the 2022 edition of the annual National Youth Games, NYG scheduled for September.
In a 12-point communique issued at the end of the North-West zonal meeting at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Thursday, the association appealed to Kano state government to commence preparations for the hosting of the Games, noting that a hitch-free hosting of the event will pave way for more hosting rights to be awarded to more states in the Zone.
Sports writers in the zone lamented the near dearth of school sports activities in the zone, urging the state governments and other critical stakeholders to rekindle school sports in the zone with the mission to discover and promote raw talents in their states, for upward growth to the national and international sports scene.
The communique jointly signed by Benjamin Isiah as chairman; Nasiru Gide (Member) and Abdulgafar Oladimeji as secretary, further charged the zonal office of the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports to take up the challenge of organizing developmental and promotional sports events in the zone.

While expressing worries over what it considers over-concentration of sports writers in the zone, on reporting foreign sports activities to the detriment of indigenous sports activities, the meeting requested state governments in the zone to, in the interest of sports promotion, integrate sports journalists into all their major sports activities, for the good of the sector, explaining that this is cardinal for the growth of the industry.
The body, in strong terms, condemned the acts of hooliganism recorded, during the NPFL match day 23 played at SAS between Kano Pillars and Katsina United, mandating football administrators in the zone to be alive towards their duties to avoid reoccurrence of similar ugly incidence.
The august session which commended Katsina state government for its massive investment on the provision and maintenance of major sports facilities in the state, also commended it for hosting the zonal meeting and the warmth reception accorded to its members in attendance.
The gathering also congratulated Malumfashi Football Club and Danburram FC for gaining promotion into the NNL cadre.

The umbrella body of sports writers in the zone also extended its appreciation to the national body of the association and its national secretariat for their uttermost commitments and sacrifices towards running the affairs of the association.
The meeting thanked members of the association in the zone, for their sense of commitment, urging them to continue to discharge their duties religiously without submitting to fear or intimidation that are commonly associated with the banal hazards of the trade.

