Nigeria: Mark d' Ball Basketball Championship Initiator Praises Nasarawa Sports Devt Drive

11 February 2026
This Day (Lagos)

The initiator of Mark D' Ball Basketball Championship, Mr. Igoche Mark, has commended the Nasarawa State government for its efforts in promoting sports development and expanding the state's sports ecosystem.

During a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Kwanta Bohar, Mark praised Governor Abdullahi Sule for leveraging sports as a tool for youth empowerment, economic growth, and social unity.

"I commend the governor for actively advancing sports as a tool for youth empowerment, economic growth, and social unity. This policy is managed by you through conscious and deliberate investment which has started yielding results," Mark said.

He cited the success of Nasarawa United, the state-owned football club, which is currently among the top three clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League.

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"I know the government is investing heavily in infrastructure, including the upgrade of the Lafia City Stadium, which I personally visited on Saturday," Mark noted. "Also, the sports programme geared towards talent discovery through initiatives like the annual Governor's Cup and participation in the National Sports Festival is what other states should emulate."

Commissioner Bohar stated that the governor's mandate is to harness sports to reduce unemployment and promote peace among young people.

"My Ministry, working under the mandate of Mr. Governor, is to use sports as a means of reducing unemployment and fostering peace among the youth," Bohar said. "The state runs the annual Governor's Cup football tournament across its 13 local government areas to discover grassroots talent. Aside football, we host and support other sports competitions across the state," he concluded.

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