Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
Sokoto State Fives Club commenced on Wednesday, the First Edition of the National Unity Interstate tournament in Sokoto the state capital.
The interstate unity cup Tournament was staged in honour of the spirit of the game’s founding father and former premier of the northern region late Sir Ahamadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto)
Participants at the four-day competition were drawn from 5 states of the north including Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, and Sokoto who jetted off for the tournament ahead of Saturday’s final.
According to experts, historically, Fives is known as hand tennis, It’s an English handball sport similar to the games of handball and squash.
The game is played in both singles and doubles teams, in either three- or four-sided courts.
The tournament organizer and Fives game National president Alhaji Abubakar Dangaladiman Gwandu said the tournament aims to enhance unity and keep the memory late Sardauna of Sokoto Sir Ahamadu Bello alive in whose hands the game started in northern Nigeria.
The contest which commenced on Wednesday swung with a formula that involves a series of all-play-all matches on the first day of the tournament.
The results of the matches’ scores were instantly pronounced by a commentator right on the concrete courts of the Sokoto Fives sports club opposite Government House Sokoto, organizers of the event use the court to decide the pairings ahead of Saturday’s final play-offs.
The permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Sports and Youths Development, Mohammed Bello Yusuf, assured organizers of the interstate Fives tournament of continued government to keep the game alive in the state.
He said, his ministry was all-out in supporting sporting activities as a means of developing youths in the state.
“We will partner with you in all future tournaments aimed at keeping the memory of our founding fathers such as Sir Ahamadu Bello Sardauna alive the premier of the former northern Nigeria.
In his remarks at the opening of the four-day tournament, the state chairman of the Sokoto Fives club Alhaji Maiakwai Mu’azu Lamido called on the Sokoto state government and Governors of the 19 northern states to establish Fives games courts in all secondary schools in their states.
He said the move would enhance the popularity of the game and also keep the memory of the founding fathers of the north alive.
He said, the late premier of northern Nigeria, Sir Ahamadu Bello, was able to unite the whole 19 states together in peace and harmony, as such people of the region owe a duty to honour and protect his name and the game of Fives which he cherishes so much.
“The late premier didn’t allow tribalism, politics or religion to be a tool for mischieve or vendetta in his administration of the north, but rather allow justice to take its cause amongst citizens.
