Kwara sports in 2012, under the leadership of Governor AbdulFatah Ahmad recorded more positives that negatives and that would be complemented for in 2013, following a huge budget of N1.4b for the sector.

Last Thursday, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed presented a budget proposal of N94.4billion for the 2013 fiscal year, with Sport and Youth Development taking a fair share of N1.4b.

That was the highest budget for Sports and Youth Development in recent times.

In the budget with the theme, ‘Sustained Prosperity', Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed stressed that his administration is determined “to provide good governance to the people through a systematic focus on our interlinked priority areas.

The budget would take care of sports infrastructure; assist sports performance and preparation for general management of the sector in 2013. The Heraldsports findings indicated that the renovation and modernization of the Indoor Sports Hall of the Kwara state stadium was captured in the budget, so also the renovation of the outdoor courts for basketball and volleyball.

Above all, the Special Assistant on Sports to Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed, Alhaji Sulaiman Toyin Olokoba said that a Sports Summit would be held, where the stakeholders would draw sports agenda and blueprint for sports development in the state.

He also added that the state would focus more on grassroots, to complement the successes achieved with the introduction of Maigida Talent Hunt programme in both football and boxing, as well as the Governors' Cup competition for all secondary schools in the state.

The policy thrust of Ahmed's government includes focus on the grassroots, as a way of keeping the youths busy, while as well discovering talents that would later do the state and the nation proud is future sports competitions. And that was why the government fully supported the introduction of Maigida Talent Hunt, and the Governors' Cup among all secondary schools in the state. The two programmes, under the office of the Special Assistant on Sports, Alhaji Toyin Olokoba made a reasonable impact in the state.

Kwara's lackadaisical campaign in the 18th National Sports Festival, tagged Eko 2012 is no doubt the last major event in sports in the state in 2012. The state returned from Lagos with just one gold, one silver and nine bronze medals, which was considered as the worst result in recent times from Council which came back from the 17th edition twelve months earlier with five gold, six silver and 12 bronze medals.

Apart from the fact that Kwara state lost some of her notable athletes to other states ahead of the festival in the name of poaching, miscalculation, sabotage and indiscipline robbed the state of good outing at the Games.

Kwara state hosted the zonal elimination ahead of the festival, where they picked the ticket to represent the zone in male football and basketball. Kwara State Sports Council also organized the maiden Military and Para-Military Games in the state, as a way of broadening unity and to discover talents that would do the state proud in sports.

The Council constituted 28 sports associations with grand style, as notable individuals who include the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Asembly, Rt. Hon. Razak Atunwa, the Deputy Speaker, Prof. Gana Issa and other members of the House, Commissioners, private sector participants and others brought on board to add value to sports development.

Kwara Football Academy for the first time after 13 appearances, won the NNPC/Shell Cup Soccer competition among all secondary schools in Nigeria. The school has also qualified to represent the state in the 2012/2013 edition, after beating Offa Grammar School 2-0 in the state final.

The Kwara Football Academy has said that it had prepared adequately to retain the 2013 NNPC/Shell Cup Soccer Competition title it won this year. The Academy's Chief Coach, Amusa Adisa said that the team was on its way to retain the title of the tournament for secondary schools.

Adisa spoke against the backdrop of the academy's qualification for the zonal elimination of the championship having emerged the champions of Kwara.

The academy entered the 15th edition of NNPC/Shell Cup soccer Competition as the defending champions. According to the coach, the team has prepared so hard for the tournament and will the need prayers and support of the people of Kwara to retain the title.

Adisa expressed the hope that his side would enjoy the total support of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed who had promised to turn around the fortunes of the academy and sports in the state.

Kwara state government hosted the camping and the qualifying series of the national U-20 team, the Flying Eagles in Ilorin. The team observed two months camping which was bankrolled by the Kwara state government, and also, the two home qualifying matches involving the Flying eagles and the Ngorogoro of Tanzania and the Amajita of South Africa.

Kwara state has four teams that are playing in the Nigerian League, with two, Kwara United Football Club and Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) FC playing in the Nigeria Premier League. The two teams had a rough ride in the league last season, with ABS escaping the drop in the very last matches of the season which incidentally, they did not feature following the expulsion of Ocean Boys which they should have played in their last match. Kwara United too avoided that drop in the second to the last match away to Sunshine Stars, which they drew 1-1, having to play the last match at home to Shooting Stars Sports Club.

In the history of the Club, Kwara United last season enjoyed tremendous support, which includes the payment of 100% sign-on fees to the players and officials, even though the performance does not reflect in the huge investment in the team. The team garnered 52 points to finish 6th on the final medals table, despite the serious bid to win a continental ticket at the end of the season.

Kwara Government has pledged continued support for Kwara United FC to win laurels in the 2012/2013 Nigeria Premier League (NPL) season.

The government restated its determination to give the team all that was required to enable it to excel in the new soccer season beginning in February.