By: Chinedum Ohanusi

The Barrister Nyesom Wike FCT School Sports Festival 2024, came to a rousing conclusion on Thursday, at the Main Bowl of the MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja, with Government Secondary School (GSS) Karu emerging the overall champions.

The fiesta which began on February 22, 2024 with zonal preliminaries, hosted at eight centres, across the six Area Councils of the FCT; Abaji Kwali Kuje Gwagwalada Tunga Maje and Tudun Wada Dutse-Alhaji; featured Board events like Scrabble, Chess, football, Volleyball, Handball, Track and Field, Table Tennis and Badminton.

Remarkably, the competition, which was resucitated twenty-five years, after it was last held, was open to public and private; Primary, Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools, in the nation’s capital.

A key attraction on the final day were wheelchair races, and race-walk by special athletes from School of Children with Special Needs Kuje, and School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada; and both events overly underlined the aura of inclusivity; as the dignitaries, other students in the stands, as well as games officials, games meters and mistresses, the media and a handful of parents, cheered along as the athletes wheel and walked across the finishing line.

The rollcall of Special Guests includes Principals and Vice-Principals of various schools, Directors and Heads of Departments of Agencies and Boards of the Education Secretariat; was headlined by the presence of the Mandate Secretary, Social Development Secretariat, Ibrahim Aminu; and the Mandate Secretary Education Secretariat, Danlami Hayyo who represented the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and declared the festival closed.

In all, eight hundred and forty athletes, who placed first, and in some cases second, at the zonal preliminaries were converged on the City Centre, from March 10 th and accommodated at the hostels of the FCT Science, Technology, and Innovation Center, where six Chaperones and fifteen Members of the Organizing Committee were detailed to care for them.

While the football events for the Primary and Secondary, where stood down for what the Director FCT Secondary Schools Sports Department, Mallam Hashimu Adamu Ojah called “a good course”, FOSLA Academy Karshi won the football gold in spectacular fashion on Wednesday, by piping GSS Dutse-Alhaji 1-Nil in a closely fought final.

Having hammered Vocational Enterprise Institute (VEI) Kuje 7-1, the Academy founded and owned by former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi were the overwhelming favourites to win the Gold Medal.

But the permutation evaporated almost instantly, as soon as the game began; largely due to the heroics of Precious Dahunsi, the goalkeeper of Dutse-Alhaji whose spectacular saves ensured that the scores were kept low.

The match winner was Benjamin Alfa who spotted Jersey No 11. He scored from the penalty spot in the 25th minute of play, to ensure that FOSLA Academy lived up to their reputation, as FCT and National Principal Cup Champions.

Earlier, GSS Tunga Maje which despite not being able to make it to the podium as Over Bests, had their athletes medaling in many of the events, in the Junior and Senior Secondary categories; won the Bronze Medal match, by edging out VEI Kuje 5-4 on penalties, after their 3rd place match, which preceded the final at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki; had ended one-all.