Stanley Ugboaja
The Director of Sports, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Dr. Ali Isa Danlami has reiterated the institution’s readiness to host the 27th edition of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) in 2024.
The don stated this during an exclusive interview with Prime Business Africa correspondent at the Sports Complex, University of Lagos, Akoka ahead of today’s voting by NUGA Council to determine the next host of the biennial sporting fiesta.
Dr. Isa disclosed that the University has world-class sporting facilities within its campuses needed to host the games on the schedule, adding that 80 percent of the facilities required to host the games are on ground.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“If granted the hosting rights, we are committed to upgrading these sporting facilities to global standards before the start of the games. Our tartan track is the best in the country based on testimonies by experts in sports facilities and international athletes. We will construct cricket, hockey, and handball fields to complement other facilities in the University.” he disclosed.
Over the years, the NUGA games calendar has been distorted due to the inability of some hosting universities to meet up with the needed sporting infrastructure to stage the games as and when due. The only way to normalize this problem is to accord the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State the right to host the games”, he said.
He disclosed that the University recently hosted the Confederation of African Athletics Games comprising nine countries from the continent, the 2020/2021 National Football League play-off and the NUGA Preliminary for universities in Zone F. This he, attributed to the institution’s world-class sporting facilities.
The Director of Sports revealed that the University has 20, 000-bed spaces on Campus to accommodate all the participating athletes and officials while promising to provide free hotel accommodation for all the Chairmen and Director of Sports that would come for the games.
Consequently, he appealed to all the NUGA Council members to vote for the University as the host of the 27th edition of the collegiate games in order to sustain the lofty dreams of the NUGA founding fathers.
The NUGA council will later today (Friday) vote to decide the host of the 27th NUGA Games among the University of Calabar, Cross River State, University of Jos, Plateau State, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
It will be recalled that ABU Zaria last hosted the games in 2001. The 26th edition of the games is ongoing at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State.
