The effects of hosting the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has spurred Plateau State to aspire to also bid and host a successful festival in jos, the state capital.
This was declared by the Commissioner of Youth And Sport in the state,Hon Musa Ashoms, while speaking to Sports Writers from Plateau State at the sidelines of the just concluded National Sports Festival, at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
Hon Ashoms declared that the successful hosting by Ogun State is a testament that Plateau State can also host a better festival because of the ambiance and other benefits attached to it. He said “we are sure and capable of hosting the National Sports Festival, there are a lot of business around the sporting activities, everywhere will be agog; people come from different parts of the world, we’ll like to have such atmosphere and presence in jos, you know the land is Green and fertile for these activities, we are not writing off our bidding for 2028 edition which will be the turn of the North Central.We want to draw people to the Plateau to showcase our culture, hospitality and tourism potential and for businesses to grow”.
Hon Ashoms, also promised the availability of facilities as the Rwang Pam Stadium will be ready then and other ones that will be provided.
He equally applauded Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, for the unwavering commitment to Sports development in Plateau State, where athletes are no longer being denied their entitlements before or after competitions as the atmosphere is conducive, the reason Plateau was among the states that is competing with their Southern counterparts in medal haul, Plateau is even topping the northern states except Abuja.
” I will like to appreciate our Governor Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, for his unwavering support to sports, he called me and asked how many medals have we won and I told him 39 as at that time and now we are even more than, he was excited; that shows you that going forward, we’ll achieve more”.
On Plateau Athletes competing for other states, the Commissioner said its a thing of pride to see Plateau sons and daughters winning gold for other states.
“we are proud of our athletes, our people have made us proud, we’re close to the top, we keep working to get to the top in future festivals; Athletes come from all over the world to compete, thus our athletes competed against the best and it would interest you to know and gratifying that many athletes that won Gold medals for other states are Plateau sons and daughters, it tells we are a reckoning force in the sporting environment. We are happy also the we see names that are not limited to Plateau alone also winning medals for us, its a National festival and when we continue like this, we’ll be more united, we’ll see ourselves as a people, as human beings before all these cleavages we’ve created for ourselves”.
He maintained that it is encouraging that Plateau Athletes can compete against the best and win medals.
The Sports Festival tagged the Gateway Games ended on Thursday 29th May, 2025 with Delta State defending the title for the fifth time in a row. Enugu State is the next host in 2026.
Credit: Nathaniel Mobolade, SSIMEDIA, Gateway Games.
