By Ime Bassey
With just four days gone in the on-going National Sport Festival in the Garden City of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, former Bauchi State Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Sani Toro has advised the Federal Government to use the Games to unify the country more.

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard Sports from his base in Bauchi, the former Nigerian Football Association, NFA, Secretary General, said attention will be shifted from the several crises threatening the unity of the country to sports which has always served as a unifying factor more than other sectors of the economy.

He also predicted that host Rivers State or the oil rich Delta State will finish tops on the medals log ahead  of Lagos and Edo.

“First and foremost, I want to commend the host (Rivers State) first for providing facilities for the sports festival, even though some states are complaining of inadequate accommodation, but I think that as the games progresses, it will be sorted out.

“For the National Sport Commission insisting that the festival most hold before the end of December this year, they also most be commended. The states deserve commendation too for responding to their responsibility by allowing their athletes participate in the festival.

“We thought that we will have less participation as at two months ago but the various states have lived up to the expectations of Nigerians. I believe they know that sport is the only unifying factor in the country. There will be diverted attention from Boko Haram and any other crisis during this period at least.

I am happy that this is happening at this time, my prayers and hope is that, there should be an increase of sporting activities of this nature in the country. Government should use sports to change most of all this issues in the country,” Toro said.

For the sports festival aiding athletes’ performances in the up coming All Africa Games in Maputo, the former House of Representatives member said, “It will have less impact because almost all the sports federations have selected their athletes for the games and have started camping.

I believe that only very few new discoveries will be picked for the All Africa Games. This, I think the organizers of the Games will put into consideration for the next festival, in that it should be held at least eight months before the All Africa Games. This will enable new talents discovered to be sharpened ahead of  big Games like the All Africa Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

On his thought about the medal tables, he said, “I can see Delta and the host Rivers at the top. I do not see Lagos and Edo topping the medals table,” Toro added.