The curtain has finally come down on the much-anticipated Kano State Higher Institutions Games, popularly known as KASHIGA Staff Games.
For the participating institutions, however, the competition was more than a sporting event, it offered staff members an opportunity to step away from their usual academic and administrative routines, test their sporting abilities, build friendships and strengthen relationships across higher institutions in Kano State.
The organisers deserve commendation for successfully putting together an event of such magnitude. Hosting a multi-institutional sporting competition involving staff from different higher institutions is no small task.
NFF: NSC’s intervention could be a turning point for Nigerian Football
From the opening stages to the closing ceremony, considerable effort was made to keep the games running and give participating institutions an opportunity to compete. But good organisation should not mean that every concern is brushed aside.
There were side talks during and after the competition, with some participating institutions raising concerns about certain aspects of the games. Some of these issues may appear minor, but they deserve attention because they offer an opportunity to identify areas that require improvement.
The concerns should neither be exaggerated nor dismissed. They should be listened to and Listen to the Participants This is where a formal post-competition statement from the organisers would have been useful.
I had expected the organising committee to acknowledge the concerns raised, clarify issues where necessary and explain what measures, if any, would be introduced to prevent similar situations in future editions.
Such a response would demonstrate openness and a willingness to learn from the experiences of participants. It would also help reduce speculation and ensure that the lessons from this year’s edition are properly documented.
Concerns raised by participating institutions should not automatically be interpreted as a rejection of KASHIGA or an attempt to undermine the organisers.
They should, first and foremost, be treated as feedback from people who participated in the competition and therefore have a legitimate interest in seeing it improve.
Every growing sporting competition will encounter challenges. What matters is how those challenges are identified, discussed and addressed.
Against this background, I offer the following observations and recommendations.
Bring Sports Experts on Board: One area that deserves greater attention is the involvement of professional sports administrators and technical personnel in the organisation of the games.
KASHIGA could benefit from stronger collaboration with relevant sporting bodies, including the Kano State Sports Commission, as well as experienced sports professionals.
Such collaboration would provide additional technical knowledge and help strengthen the application of sporting rules and standards.
For example, situations in which athletes participate without appropriate sporting attire or, in some cases, compete barefoot should be avoided in a formal competition involving higher institutions.
These may appear to be minor matters, but attention to such details contributes to the professionalism and credibility of a sporting event.
KASHIGA does not have to do everything alone. Established sports bodies and professionals can complement the work of the organising committee.
There is also a wealth of academic expertise within higher institutions themselves. As a Higher Institutions Games, KASHIGA should consider consulting professors, PhD holders and other academics with expertise in sports, physical education and sports administration.
Their knowledge could add value to the organisation and technical management of future editions.
Establish a Proper Appeals System: Another important issue is the need for a clearly defined appeals and dispute-resolution mechanism.
In competitive sports, disagreements, protests and complaints are inevitable. The important question is whether participants have a transparent and accessible process through which such matters can be presented and reviewed.
KASHIGA should therefore consider establishing properly constituted Appeals and Disciplinary Committees with clear terms of reference.
The technical committee, as presently constituted, may not be adequate to handle technical matters while also receiving and determining protests and appeals.
Separating these responsibilities would provide a more structured process for dealing with disputes.
An appeals committee should have a clear mandate to receive protests, review disputed decisions and make determinations in accordance with the competition’s rules.
A credible appeals system does not suggest that organisers will get everything wrong. Rather, it recognises that even well-organised competitions require mechanisms for reviewing decisions when disagreements arise.
Why Did Only 18 Institutions Participate? Perhaps one of the bigger questions arising from this year’s competition concerns participation.
Kano State has a sizeable number of higher institutions, including universities, Colleges of Education, Colleges of Health Sciences and other specialised institutions.
By my own compilation, there are approximately 19 universities, 19 Colleges of Education and 16 Colleges of Health Sciences, in addition to other tertiary institutions such as Kano State Polytechnic and Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies.
Against this background, the participation of only 18 institutions raises an important question:
Are all eligible institutions being adequately reached and mobilised on good time?
The answer may not be straightforward. Institutions may have different reasons for not participating, including funding, internal approvals, logistics, scheduling and other institutional considerations. Communication, however, must also be examined.
If invitations, guidelines, dates, schedules and other relevant information do not reach institutions early enough, it becomes difficult for them to prepare teams, identify athletes, obtain approvals and make appropriate budgetary arrangements.
KASHIGA therefore needs a stronger communication and mobilisation strategy.
Every eligible institution should be reached well ahead of the competition, with sufficient information to allow it to make an informed decision about participation.
More Institutions, More Opportunities: Greater participation could also create room for the expansion of sporting disciplines.
A competition involving a limited number of institutions naturally places limitations on its scale and diversity.
If more institutions are brought into the fold, KASHIGA could gradually expand the number of sporting events and create opportunities for more staff members to participate.
But this requires early planning: Institutions should not be introduced to the competition shortly before it begins. They need adequate notice to identify athletes, organise training, obtain approvals, mobilise resources and make logistical arrangements.
The earlier the information reaches institutions, the better prepared they are likely to be.
KASHIGA Needs an Annual Sporting Calendar: One simple way to improve planning is to introduce an annual KASHIGA sporting calendar.
The organisers should establish, as much as possible, tentative periods for the Staff Games, Students Games and other major KASHIGA activities. These dates should be communicated to participating institutions well in advance.
A predictable calendar would make it easier for institutions to budget for participation, organise training programmes, select athletes and make necessary administrative arrangements.
More importantly, it would transform KASHIGA from an event that institutions prepare for periodically into a structured annual sporting programme.
More Committees, Better Administration: As the competition grows, its administrative structure should grow with it.
Therefore, KASHIGA should consider establishing additional committees to complement the technical committee.
Depending on the scale of future editions, these could include:
- Appeals Committee
- Disciplinary Committee
- Medical Committee
- Publicity and Communication Committee
- Technical Committee
- Results and Verification Committee
- Protocol and Logistics Committee
Each committee should have clearly defined responsibilities and terms of reference.
This would distribute responsibilities more effectively and ensure that specialised matters are handled by people with the appropriate knowledge and experience.
Results Must Be Properly Managed: The recording, verification and publication of results is another area that deserves greater attention.
The final medals table is not merely a collection of figures. For participating institutions, it represents the official record of their performance.
It is therefore understandable that athletes, officials and institutions would take considerable interest in the final standings.
The delay in releasing the final medals table, which took several days before it was eventually made public, highlights the need for a clearly defined results-management process.
Results should be recorded promptly, verified through an agreed procedure and communicated to participating institutions.
A Results and Verification Committee could be particularly useful in this regard.
Such a system would reduce confusion and give institutions greater confidence in the accuracy of the final standings.
Learn from Every Edition: KASHIGA should also introduce a formal post-competition review.
At the conclusion of every edition, participating institutions should be invited to submit feedback on their experiences.
Athletes, team coordinators, officials and institutional representatives could comment on issues ranging from organisation and communication to accommodation, transportation, officiating, scheduling and results management.
The purpose should not be to apportion blame, it should simply answer three questions:
- What worked?
- What did not work? and
- What should be done differently next time?
Those answers could provide valuable guidance for the next edition.
The Side Talks Should Not Define KASHIGA
Despite these observations, the significance of the KASHIGA Staff Games should not be lost in the side talks.
The competition has considerable value. It gives staff members of higher institutions an opportunity to interact outside their normal academic and administrative environments. It promotes physical fitness, teamwork, friendship and healthy competition.
It also creates an avenue for institutions that may otherwise have little opportunity to interact to meet on a different platform.
For that reason, the successful conclusion of this year’s edition should be regarded as a foundation, not an endpoint.
The organisers have demonstrated that they can put together a major staff sporting event. The next task is to consolidate the gains.
The Road Ahead: No competition is perfect, particularly one involving several institutions, numerous athletes and multiple sporting disciplines.
Mistakes will happen. Misunderstandings will arise. Decisions will sometimes be questioned. What matters is how those challenges are handled.
The concerns raised by some participating institutions therefore deserve attention. They should neither be exaggerated nor dismissed.
They should be examined objectively, with the aim of establishing what happened, what could have been done differently and what measures can prevent similar situations in future editions.
If KASHIGA improves its communication strategy, broadens participation, involves more sports professionals, establishes clear appeals and disciplinary procedures, strengthens results verification and introduces a predictable annual calendar, it will have a stronger foundation for future editions.
Ultimately, KASHIGA Staff Games is bigger than any individual institution, team or official. Its success depends on the confidence, participation and cooperation of the institutions that make up the competition.
The arrangements may have been good and in many respects they were, but the side talks should not simply be brushed aside. They should be listened to, investigated where necessary and converted into lessons for the future.
That is how KASHIGA can move beyond being merely an anticipated sporting event and develop into a respected, inclusive and enduring sporting tradition among higher institutions in Kano State.
I wish KASHIGA continued success.
