National Youth Games: FCT Embarks On 4-day Zonal Elimination

National Youth Games: FCT Embarks On 4-day Zonal Elimination By Our Reporter The FCT Sports Department is commencing a 4–day Zonal Elimination beginning from the 2nd to 7th September, 2021 at Ilorin, Kwara State. This disclosure was made available by the Head, Media and Communication Unit of the Department, Vivian Onubogu. The Acting Director of FCT Sports Department, Luka Istifanus revealed that Zonal Elimination is for Team Sports that are expected to participate at the National Youth Games taking place in Ilorin on the 10th to 19th October, 2021. The Team Sports from seven States in the North Cental Zone will converge in Ilorim to compete. Those Team Sports are Football, Basketball, Volleyball Handball, Cricket and Hockey. Zonal Elimination entails competing at the Geo–Political Zone of the North Central, so as to select each Team Sports that will emerge winner. Such Team Sports will be participating in that particular Game for the Geo – Political Zone. The Zonal Elimination is taking place simultaneously in other geo–political Zone in the 36 States of the Federation and FCT, the essence is to hand – pick the Team Sports that will participate at the National Youth Games. Istifanus stated that in the last National Sports Festival that took place in Edo, FCT qualified in Football, Handball and Cricket. In other words, Zonal Elimination is all about hand picking the Team Sports that will participate in a tournament. This has become necessary because it has a larger population compared to other Sports. For instance, if it is Boxing, you can go with 2 Boxers. When it comes to Team Sports, the players are larger in number, hence the need for Zonal Elimination. “Football has 18 players, Hockey 18, Handball 16, you have 11 players competing at a time, then you have the reserve."