Kaduna — As parts of efforts to develop sports in Kano State and Nigeria, Gwarzo Local Government is set to sponsor the state U-17 football team for a friendly tie in Dubai according to the local govern-ment Caretaker Chairman, Alhaji Abbas Sani Abbas.

Speaking after being presen-ted with the Grassroots Sports Federation (GRASOF) National Merit Award in Kaduna at the weekend, Abbas said the local government is also sponsoring the Kano State hockey team to the 16th National Sports Festival slated for Kaduna next February as its contribution to the deve-lopment of sports and youth em-powerment in the state.

He noted that the council will be responsible for the kitting, training, transportation and other expenses of the hockey team for the biennial sporting fiesta. "Gwarzo Local Govern-ment Council will be sponsoring the Kano State U-17 team for an international friendly match in Dubai next January. The players are in training and all is set for the trip we are only awaiting the official invitation to enable us process the visa for the players and officials.

"We are also sponsoring the Kano State hockey team comple-tely to the National Sports Fes-tival slated for Kaduna in Feb-ruary 2009. We are responsible for the kitting, training and other needs of the team for the festival. We also partake in seve-ral sporting activities and tour-naments where we recorded sig-nificant success this must have attracted the attention of GRA-SOF to have deem it fit to recog-nise our efforts."

Listing the achievements of the local government in sports he said, "We won the President Peace Cup organised by GRA-SOF in 2007, we won the Kano State zonal play off of the Ramat Cup, Malam Aminu Kano Cup in 2007, Kano State YSFON Governors Gala Cup in 2007 and Governors Cup organised by Kano State Youth Soccer Awa-reness and Promotion."

The LG boss who commen-ded the state government for its efforts in sport development however called for support from all stakeholders for a successful programme that would not only develop sports in the sate but also boost youth empowerment.