New Telegraph

Minister, VC, light NUGA 2022 Torch as UNILAG pledges hitch-free games

 

 

The stage is now set for the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA 2020), the 26th edition of the Inter-university sports competitions, which will be hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) next year.

 

The competition was declared open by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare during the Lighting of the NUGA 2020 Torch at the university on Friday, November 26, 2021.

 

According to him, this 26th edition billed to kick-off next year, is coming five years after the last edition was held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, due largely to the obvious reasons like the COVID-19 pandemic, funding challenge and efforts to get the facilities ready for the games.

 

He said the lighting of the Torch in Sports is very significant as it is indicative of the positive spirit of gamesmanship and its ability to promote friendliness, fairness and peace. Dare noted: “The lighting is also symbolic. It is the igniting of the passion, will to win against all odds and the competitive spirit that is determined to overcome all obstacles  in order to claim the ultimate prize freely and fairly.

 

“So today, I feel so highly privileged to be part of the process that promotes the positive attitudes of gamesmanship, friendliness and fairness driven by the passion and will to win, and the determination to overcome all hurdles to success among Nigerian universities in sports.”

 

However, the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, the hosting institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the competition will be held between March 16 and 26, 2022, with about 136 public and private universities nationwide, while no fewer than 10,000 students are expected to participate in 17 events, including football, boxing, swimming, karate, volley, basket and handball, among others.

 

While assuring the Minister and other stakeholders of adequate preparation of the university to host a hitch-free event, which was originally billed for last year, but was postponed due to COVID-19 lockdown, said the facilities were ready and massive renovation and some reconstruction had been carried out to meet international standards.

 

According to him, the Games had been tagged: “A City NUGA” as some of the games would be taken to outside UNILAG to create awareness about the unity sports brings to the country.

 

Ogundipe, who noted that this edition would make it the fourth time UNILAG would be hosting NUGA, recalled that the university first hosted it in 1968, second in 1978 and the third time 10 years after, with UNILAG emerging the winner in 1988 and in 1998 respectively.

 

Expressing the determination to make the next year’s NUGA to be hosted by UNILAG the best NUGA ever, urged the students to get ready to participate fully and actively in the sports fiesta and to make the university proud.

 

NUGA is about the students and we want to showcase our students as the best in academics, sports and character,” the Vice-Chancellor said

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