53 Polytechnics, 4,000 athletes register for NIPOGA

No fewer than 53 Polytechnics have registered to participate in the 22nd edition of the Nigeria Polytechnic Games, which will officially begin on Saturday, April 5, at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State.

The Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, Dr. Oluwakemi Ogungbamigbe, in a press release issued on Thursday said the event would spread across eight days between April 5 and 12.

The event will feature sports, cultural exchange and economic activities.

She noted that the contingents from different polytechnics would compete in various events, including athletics, football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, chess, scrabble, handball, badminton, table tennis, judo, and taekwondo.

“The Secretary General of Nigeria Polytechnics Games Association (NIPOGA), Mallam Abubakar Abdullahi, said 53 Polytechnics with about 4000 athletes had fully registered for the games as of the time of filing this report.

“Some contingents have arrived from several states, including polytechnics from  Delta, Taraba, Bauchi, Rivers, Osun, and Ekiti State, amongst others, while other contingents were on their way.

“All things have been put in place to ensure a hitch-free NIPOGA,” he stated.

In an earlier press conference declaring the hosting of the games and the level of preparedness, the Rector, Dr. Kadiri Kamoru, affirmed that the 22nd edition of NIPOGA would go beyond winning medals to foster friendship, inclusiveness and social cohesion among students across the country.

“This tournament will serve as a springboard for talent identification and international sports participation. If we get it right at this level, we will be securing the future of Nigerian sports,” he said.

“The 22nd edition of the NIPOGA Games has thus been tagged with the theme ‘Ijakadi 2024’. This phrase, ‘IJAKADI’, is deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Offa, a historic town in Kwara State and the host community for the games.

“Offa is renowned for its traditional Ijakadi festival, a wrestling event that embodies equality, unity, and justice. Similarly, the Nipoga Games will unite polytechnic students from diverse backgrounds, promoting competition on an equal footing.

The Ijakadi festival’s emphasis on fairness and togetherness makes it an ideal theme for this milestone edition of the games”, Kadiri said.