Federation seeks inclusion of para-soccer in National Sports Festival

The sport is currently practiced in only 16 states.

The Para-soccer Federation of Nigeria (PFN) on Thursday advocated for the inclusion of the sport in the 19^th National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled for Calabar in 2014.

The Vice-President of the federation, Theo Lawson, said in Lagos that its inclusion would provide the popularity needed to promote the sport in the country.

“The NSF is the only major championship that brings the 36 states and Abuja together under the umbrella of a festival. So it will be a good opportunity to create awareness for para-soccer in the festival. Even if the sport is introduced in the festival as a demonstration sport in Calabar, people will have more knowledge about the sport. Its inclusion will also attract other physically challenged people to the sport and hence making them a worthwhile citizen,” he said.

According to Lawson, the sport is presently practiced in only 16 states.

He said that this had given opportunity to the players in the 16 states to engage themselves in sporting activities.

“Instead of being a liability to the society and their families, the players now have a means of taking care of their immediate needs,” he said.

On preparation for the super-four para-soccer championship slated for October 5 at the Indoor Sports Hall, University of Lagos, Lawson said that everything was in place to ensure a hitch free competition.

He commended Promasidor Nig. Ltd. for sponsoring the competition since it began in 2007.

Lawson recalled that three teams in Nigeria and a team in Ghana would feature in the competition.

(NAN)