The Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State has earmarked more than N250 million for the upgrading of physical facilities at the North and South campuses of the Institution for successful hosting of the 17th edition of the Nigeria Polytechnic Games.

The Rector of the Institution, Dr Joseph Oke, disclosed this on Tuesday while unveiling the Mascot for the NIPOGA 2011 edition in Ede.

According to Oke, N200 million was budgeted for the game in the 2010 and 2011 capital budget, in addition to N50 million financial ETF intervention to put an indoor sport hall in place so as to facilitate all indoor games like table tennis, badminton among others.

“Apart from the physical facilities, there is also fund for provision of vehicles for mass transit, NIPOGA council is also committed by way of funding, member-Institutions will also make contribution towards the hosting of the game. In fact each member-institution will contribute N200,000,”“Oke said.

He assured that the programme would be held between December 6 and 18 as scheduled, adding that all the contractors handling the NIPOGA projects have been given up till the middle of August to hand over the projects.

He further disclosed that 3,000 athletes from 60 Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology across the nation were expected to participate in the NIPOGA games 2011.

He warned that the use of mercenaries or other forms of cheating would not be tolerated during the period, emphasizing that the 2011 NIPOGA edition was to promote sports and unity among youths.

The Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, who is also the School’ Deputy Rector, Dr Olukayode Adebile,  said that  participants would compete in 15 different games, namely Athletics, Handball, Squash Racket, Tennis, Badminton,Hockey, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Table Tennis, Judo, Chess, Scrabble and Taekwondo.

Adebile explained that the concept of the Mascot for Ede 2011 NIPOGA Games, which is an active fish playing football with water flowing from its mouth inside a pond, illustrates the traditional and cultural background of the state, formally “State of the living Spring,“ bow state of the Virtuous.