By OLATUNDE AJAYI/OLUWASEYI ODUNEYE-OGUNWOMOJU

No fewer than 600 athletes from the six states in the south-west geo-political zone will feature in the zonal elimination competition for the upcoming National Sports Festival (NSF).

The South-West Zonal Director of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Evelyn Fabunmi, while disclosing this on Tuesday in Ibadan said the competition would hold at two venues in the city.

She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that facilities at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium and Ilaji Sports Resort have been approved for the competition by the Commission.

“Already the competition has been scheduled by the Commission to hold simultaneously across the country’s six geo-political zones and it will feature eight ball games,” Fabunmi said.

She listed the ball games to be competed for at both venues in Ibadan as basketball, hockey, cricket, football, handball, volleyball, abula and beach volleyball.

NAN reports that abula is a ball game played over a high net of 2.44 metres on a court of 16m by eight metres with specially designed bats with tennis balls.

Fabunmi said each of the participating six states were expected to present athletes for the eight games at the competition billed to hold from Sunday and end on Feb. 28.

“Competitions in the cricket, football and basketball games will take place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, while those of hockey, volleyball, abula, handball and beach volleyball will hold at Ilaji Sports Resort,” the Zonal Director said.

She added that the competitions would begin with technical meetings for each sport, from where the officials would produce fixtures for the games.

“It is from these meetings that we will also come up with a schedule for the opening ceremony at Ilaji Sports Resort, as well as other details related to the games that has been dubbed the ‘South-West Ball Games’,” Fabunmi said.

NAN reports that the participating states are Ogun, Osun and Ekiti, as well as Oyo, Lagos and Ondo states.

Winners and second-placed teams in each of the eight games at the zonal eliminations across the country will qualify for the 22nd National Sports Festival scheduled for Ogun.

The Festival, which has been tagged “2024 Gateway Games” is slated for May 16 to May 30. (NAN)