By Jamilu Uba Adamu
The curtain of the Para Games competition tagged: National Para-Games which was held between December 8 to 14 at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was drawn last week.
As the name implies, it was a national sports fiesta organized for people with special needs otherwise called people with disabilities.
It was an avenue that provided opportunities to the para-athletes throughout the country to showcase their expertise in different sporting competitions.
Team Kano, my favorite, took everybody by surprise with their superlative performance which made them occupy the third position behind Bayelsa and Abia State who finished firstt and second respectively.
They left Kano to Abuja on Friday, the 8th 2023, the very day the competition was billed to commence but that did not affect or demoralize them.
With their late arrival, nobody anticipated a good or outstanding performance due to so many factors which I don’t want to discuss, but they were able to make it and won many medals for Kano state at the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
Despite all odds caused by lack of funds, the determination and resilience displayed by Kano State para athletes is surely remarkable as they went on to clinched 18 gold medals, 12 silver and 17 bronze medals totaling 47 medals in 12 out of 15 sporting events.
To me, these athletes with disabilities have done their best which put smiles on all of us and the spectators in the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
They tried their best and they need to be celebrated and appreciated.
I want to also commend the management and staff of Kano State Sports Commission for their commitment and dedication shown during the event.
They put the paucity of funds behind them and made sure that it did not distract them from doing what took them to Abuja and made Kano proud.
Lastly, I commended and congratulated governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for this feat which was the resultant of his support for sports in the state and also appealed to him to order the immediate release of funds so that athletes, officials and other entourage will get the balance of their DTA and other allowances.