Niger State Sports Commission Allocates N1.3m for Sports Medalists, Promises Governor’s Reward
By Our Correspondent
The Niger State Sports Commission (NSSC) has disbursed a total of N1.3 million to honor and motivate the recent medalists who competed in the third edition of the Para Games and the under-12/15 handball championship.
The Commission’s Chairman, Danjuma Abdul Masu, announced the welfare package while welcoming participants in the Abuja 2026 National Para Games festival, who won one gold, three silver, and one bronze medal. The Abia Under-12/15 Championship handball team, which finished first, was also recognized.
Providing the details, Masu explained that the gold medalist in the Paralympics received N200,000; three silver medalists received N50,000 each; and the 12 bronze winners, who are amputees, were awarded N20,000 each. Additionally, 32 under-12 and under-15 team members, along with six officials, each received N20,000. The winning team was scheduled to be sponsored to Kenya, and the handball champions to Spain by the governor.
Danjuma Abdul Masu expressed pride in the athletes’ performances but encouraged them to improve further by enhancing their training to excel in future national competitions.
He mentioned that technical issues were identified during athletics at the Abuja Para Games, but assured that these will be addressed going forward. He emphasized the importance of coaches updating their knowledge to align with current coaching standards, rules, and regulations through research and innovation.
He reassured the recent medalists of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s strong commitment to continued support for sports and athlete development, including plans for the state government to host a dinner to honor and reward them.
The NSSC chairman also stated that, in just over eight months since the establishment of the state sports commission, sports development has begun to recover from setbacks experienced over the past ten to twenty years. He highlighted that sports could contribute between five to ten percent to Nigeria’s GDP if adequately supported by individuals, corporations, and the government.
Representing the team, Muktar Ahmed, the general captain of Team Niger, commended the commission and its leader for their generosity. He expressed confidence in Abdul Masu’s determination to succeed and assured that the team aims to perform even better in future tournaments.
The Niger state para team participated in six sports—para soccer, para table tennis, para judo, para athletics, para badminton, and nikwando—in Abuja.
