I have earlier undertaken to present a report on the tournament to enable us to have proper records of all our activities for future use. This report covers the Sokoto Tournament as I saw it. Members are entitled to their own opinion which I shall of course respect.
Tuesday 23rd August 1988
MorninglAfternoon -- Participating clubs and their officials arrived and were accommodated. The fact that the Secretariat did not receive any complaint on the accommodation provided showed that the Sokoto Fives Association did a very good job in this respect and deserve commendation. The following clubs participated:
Gwandu Fives Association...Katsina City Fives Club 1...Gamji Fives Club, Sokoto...Zaria ABU Fives Club...Katsina GRA Fives Club...Gusua Fives Club...Lagos Fives Club...Sardauna Fives Club, Kaduna...Kangiwa Fives Club, Sokoto...Kano Fives Association...Niger State Fives Club...Zaria Fives Club ...Argungu Fives Club
Thus two additional Clubs from Katsina and Argungu were responsible for the increase of participating clubs from eleven (Kaduna Tournament) to thirteen (Sokoto Tournament). This shows that the competition is drawing considerable interest and attention from players wherever they may be.
8.00pm -- Pre match meeting took place at the civil service club where rules for the tournament were discussed and tournament fixtures agreed upon. On the whole it was a very good meeting. All clubs were requested to present an official each to serve as Referee/Umpire respectively. The National Secretariat was mandated to come up with three elders to form a panel to select best players from senior and junior teams that would merit the prizes.
Wednesday 24th August 1988
Morning - Free Evening
The opening ceremony was performed by Hajiya Rabiatu Halliru, Hon. Commissioner for Social Welfare, Youth and Sports Sokoto State, on behalf of the Military Governor who was unavoidably absent. The ceremony was colourful and well covered by the press. An exhibition match was staged comprising a select team drawn up at the technical committee meeting. I must personally here express the opinion that the exhibition match was not up to the required standard. This came about because emphasis was placed at club representation as against the pure art and mastery of the game to be shown to invited guests. Thus the pairs chosen could not give a good account of themselves and the game because they were not used to playing together as partners and one game alone was not enough for them to know themselves.
Thus artistery and mastery of the game were sacrificed in favour of club representation. I suggest that in future, the responsibility of organising an exhibition match should be left to the National body as they are composed of elderly persons dedicated to the promotion of the game itself and not the upliftment of any club.
Thursday 25th August 1988
Matches continued at three venues - Kangiwa, Gamji and CSC Fives courts. The Kangiwa Fives court was made the ceremonial venue of all activities of the tournament. Alh. Ibrahim Aliyu, Director General, Ministry of Social Development, Youth and Sport,. Sokoto was the guest of honour for the day.
Friday 26th August 1988
Matches continued. Alh. Abubakar Lidu was the guest of honour for the day. The occasion was to congratulate him on his appointment as the Ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago and also to bid him farewell.
Saturday 27th August 1988
Morning - Though the day was an environmental sanitation day, the passes obtained from the Sokoto State Environmental Task Force facilitated the commencement of the Annual General Meeting of the Association, the minutes of which had already been circulated.
The meeting was smooth except one item which must be mentioned. A complaint was lodged by the Sokoto Kangiwa Fives Club against the fielding of an unregistered player by the Katsina City Fives Club. We can well recall how the problem was solved.
Evening Activities - Air Commodore Bayo Lawal, Minister for Social Development. Youth and Sports and guest of honour for the closing ceremony, arrived in Sokoto in the afternoon. He was accompanied by the Military Governor of Sokoto State to the venue of the finals. The following emerged as winners:
Senior Teams
1st Position - Katsina City Fives Club presented with Sardauna Cup by the Minister
2nd Position - Kangiwa Fives Club Presented with Tunau Mafara Cup by the Governor
3rd Position - Kangiwa Fives Club
4th Position - Gamji Fives Club
Under 16
1st Position - Kangiwa Fives Club presented with Yusufu Laden's Cup by Alh. Tunau Mafara
Best Player Award (Senior) - Shehdu Mohammad, Kano Fives Club. Udu's Cup #100 cash prize Certificate
Best Player Award (Junior) - Faruk Kalgo, Kangiwa Fives Club, Sokoto. Lawal Umar's Cup #100 cash prize Certificate
A dinner party was held at Shukara Hotel at 8.30 pm. The Hon. Minister attended.
Highlights of the Tournament
- Cash donation of#20,000 by President Ibrahim Babangida to the Sokoto Fives Association as his personal contribution towards hosting the tournament.
- Presentation of a Cup by Air Commodore Bayo Lawal for competition in the intermediate group as well as #5,000 cash donation to the Fives Association of Nigeria.
- Announcement by the Hon. Minister that approval has been given for the construction of two Fives courts at the National Stadium, Lagos.
- Presentation of a Cup by Alhaji Abubakar Udu, Vice Patron of the Association for award to the best player at any tournament in the senior category.
- Presentation of a Cup by Alh. Lawal Umar, 1st Vice Chairman of the Association for award to the best player of any tournament in the junior category. The cash prize of #100 each to both senior and junior best player award was also made by him.
- Alh. Abubakar Udu's personal gift of a roasted ram to each club as well as a cash donation of #3,000 to all participating clubs.
- The closing ceremony was broadcast live by Rima Radio, Sokoto.
Finally and on the whole, it was a very successful tournament and I am sure you will join me in thanking all the Sokoto State officials responsible for all the arrangements for a job well done as well as all the donors.
A.Yakabu (National Secretary) for the Nigerian Fives AssociationSokoto Tournament by A Yakabu
Created 8th February 2006 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk