FCT School Sports: LEA Kpanda, JSS Gwako & GSS Karu Rule Medal Table

By: Chinedum Ohanusi

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says the resuscitated FCT School Sports Festival, which ended on Thursday at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Abuja; will henceforth be a compelling feature, every other year.

The fiesta which started on March 22nd, 2024 with zonal preliminaries at eight centres, spread across the six Area Councils, was the first since it was last held 25 years ago; when Retired Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni was the minister.

The multi-sport fiesta which was renamed Barrister Nyesom Wike FCT School Sports Festival, climaxed on March 14th, with the Mandate Secretary, FCT Social Development Secretariat, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim representing the FCT Minister.

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In his speech, Alhaji Aminu asserted that many who represented Team Nigeria in different major games and international championships, started small as this, and the desire of the FCT Minister is to sustain this essential component of growing up children of school age, so that they can be sound academically, physically strong, and mentally balanced.

“I therefore, called on corporate Nigeria, well-to-do private individuals and companies in the FCT, to partner the Ministry of FCT, and help in ensuring that the nation’s capital selects the very best athletes to give the city of Abuja credible representation at the annual Nigeria School Sports Festival”; Alhaji Aminu posited.

The Chief Organizer, and Mandate Secretary Education Secretariat, Mallam Danlami Hayyo said the competition whose preliminaries held in Abaji, Kwali Kuje, Gwagwalada Tunga Maje, Tudun Wada, Karshi and Dutse-Alhaji; saw 840 athletes qualify for the finalé, held from March 11th-14th.

“It is worthy of note that the games were open to both Public and Private Primary, Junior Secondary, and Senior Secondary Schools in the FCT; and we are happy to report that despite the diversity inherent in these children, the competition for silverware, right from the zone to this finalé, has been rancour free and a big success”, Mallam Hayyo said.

LEA Primary School Kpanda topped the overall medals table for the primary section, with 7 Gold, and 3 Silver;
SPS Kuje was second with 5 Gold and 4 Silver.

ACH Kuje placed third with 1 Gold and 2 Silver; LEA Angwan Dodo with 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 4 Bronze medals; then LEA Naharati with 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medal, made up the top-five in this section.

JSS Gwako with 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 6 Bronze rules the Junior Secondary Schools section;
Coming in second place was JSS Karshi with 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals. FOSLA Academy Karshi secured the third position with 4 Gold medals. JSS Karu finished fourth with 3 Gold and 1 Silver medal. JSS Kuje placed fifth with 2 Gold and 2 Bronze medals.

GSS Karu was the toast of all, after garnering 9 Gold, 5 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals to place first in the Senior Secondary Category.
ADSS Maitama secured second place with 8 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. GSS Garki came in a distant third with 3 Gold and 2 Silver. GSS Dangara placed fourth with 3 Gold and 3 Bronze medals. FOSLA Academy Karshi, known for their football prowess, rounded out the top five with 3 goal medals, two from athletics and one in Football.

The highlight of the closing ceremony was Special Schools athletes competing in wheelchair racing and walk racing.

Meanwhile, FCT School Sports Department has cancelled the Primary and Junior Secondary Schools’ football final and will use it as part of the activities for Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s first-year anniversary in office.

There were also breathtaking and mind-blowing traditional dances that saw the award winning FCT Secondary Schools Cultural Troupe, entertain the spectators mainly school children, teachers and a good number of invited guests seated at the VIP Box with dignitaries from both the education and Social Development Secretariats.