BY ABBAS SHEHU GUNGURA
Bauchi state contingent to the 17th National Sports Festival tagged Garden City 2011, may not participate in the two weeks national event due to lack of funds.

An investigation conducted from the state ministry of youths and sports and the state sports council reveals that, in August 2010 the state government approved the sum N60 million for both intra-zonal games and festival proper.

According to the break down,  N40 million will come from the 20 local government areas of the state while the state government will put in N20 million.

During the intra-zonal games in Jalingo, Taraba state, the 20 local government areas through the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs released the sum of N20 million to the state ministry of youths and sports which was used  in attending the intra-zonal games in Jalingo. In November, 2010.

The release of the funds yielded result as the state won all most all the team events leaving only one each to Gombe and the host Taraba to qualify for the festival.

The contingent to the Taraba event were satisfied with all the arrangement as their welfare and entitlements were taken care of  which was the first of its kind in the history of intra-zonal games.

Despite all the efforts by the athletes and officials in November last year to qualify in almost all the team events in Jalingo, less than three weeks to the National Sports Festival, state athletes and officials are not sure of participating in the 17th  Garden city Games as the balance of N40 million approved for the games since September last year is not forthcoming.

Our correspondent who went round the training camps reports that the athletes on their own engaged in serious training without commitment of the authorities concerned.

The state’s athletes are supposed to be officially in open camp for a period of time before going into closed camp for at least 30days before moving to the venue of the event.