The Secretary General, Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association (NIPOGA), Agboola Akinbode, says the sports fiesta is meant to engender healthy rivalry among polytechnic students in the country.
Akinbode said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO), one of the venues for eliminations in the 2019 NIPOGA games.
NIPOGA competition is a biennial event and this year’s edition in billed to be hosted by Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin, from December 4.
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The official said that ahead of the main programme, zonal eliminations were being held in October at eight centres across the country.
He added that the games would also help especially the host institution to improve on its sporting facilities, which in turn, would be useful for the students.
Akinbode said that the competition also provided the opportunity for the discovery of athletes who would represent states and the country at large in future competitions.
“We organise this competition to gear institutions to improve on their sports facilities. When an institution has a good facilities it will motivate their students to participate in sports better.
“The major objectives of this competition is that we want students to compete in healthy rivalry, make friends and compare notes.
“There will be more interest for the students to participate in sports and they will be engaged.
“A student that participates in sports in the afternoon cannot go into the bush in the night for other activities.
“When we say you are hosting, it is the institution that will improve on their facilities,” he said.
Akinbode said that the choice of RUGIPO for the zonal elimination was because it met the minimum required standard in terms of facilities.
He added that six polytechnics were participating in the seven-day elimination ahead of the major competition in Ilorin.
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He listed the institutions as The Polytechnic Ibadan, The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Osun State College of Technology ESA Oke, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree and Ede Polytechnic.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Rector of RUGIPO, Alagha Adelanke, has said that the institution is preparing to host the games in 2021.
Adelanke said RUGIPO would ensure that it qualified for most of the games as part of the preparation for the 2021 edition.
He said that the games would also improve the economy of the state as over 5000 participants would grace the occasion. (NAN)