The 18th National Sports Festival being hosted by Lagos took another colourful climb yesterday, as the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja hoisted their flags to confirm their participation at the games with the Vice President Namadi Sambo restating the commitment of the Federal Government to sports development in the country.
The Vice President, who spoke as a representative of President Goodluck Jonathan at the ceremony which took place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere and had Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of Lagos State, his Kogi State counterpart, Captain Idris Wada, several deputy governors and commissioners for sports in attendance, said the commitment informed the recent hosting of a presidential retreat on sports.
Sambo said the Federal Government will ensure that the recommendations of the technical committee on the Presidential Retreat on Sports are implemented.
In his address, the chief host, Fashola, said rather than engender crisis, the creation of state identities like flags can only strengthen the nation's unity wondering what would have been the colour and value of the flag hoisting event if there was only one flag to be hoisted for the National Sports Festival.
Vanguard Nigeria
It is always a colourful event.I always look forward to it
I wish them a successful sports festival.