The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti emerges the winners of the 20th Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association (NIPOGA) 2020
By Charles Ogwo
Though the event was billed as a sporting one, some participating institutions decided to make use of this major sport event to bring a major cankerworm plaguing Nigerian higher institutions to the front burner.
As part of events for the opening ceremony of the 20th edition of NigeriaPolytechnics Games Association (NIPOGA Games), hosted by Kwara State Polytechnic, the Federal Polytechnic, Offa (FEDPOFFA) Sports Team led a campaign against sex for grade (SEX4GRADE).
The members of its ‘No to SEX4GRADE’ Team matched round the Stadium with their banners and vests while chanting “Work for your grades” and “Say no to sex for grade”.
At the end of competition in 12 events in 11 days, Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti emerged overall winners with its 21 gold, 18 silver and 31 bronze medals.
Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), the defending champion of the competition came second with 19 gold, 24 silver and 27 bronze medals, while the third position went to The Polytechnic, Ibadan with 14 gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze medals.
Yaba College of Technology placed 4th with 13 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals while the hosts, Kwara State Polytechnic placed fifth on the medal table with 8 gold, 9 silver and 10 bronze medals.
The NIPOGA Games is a biennial sporting competition involving all accredited polytechnics and colleges of technology in Nigeria.
No fewer than 3,040 athletes from 53 schools took part in the 20th edition, whose finals took place in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, with student-athletes competing for laurels from February 5 to 16 2020. They competed in football, volleyball, table tennis, scrabble, hockey, athletics, handball, tennis, basketball, chess, badminton, and taekwondo,
Mr. Gboyega Adewoye, the Vice Chairman, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the Games, stated that the event which was initially billed to hold in December 2019 was postponed because of the recent change in the leadership of the Kwara State Polytechnic. He said the new Rector wanted a robust hosting and participation by Kwara State Polytechnic.
“Being somebody who will not want to rush into something, he needed to give himself some time to study the ground, assess what we have been done so far, to see whether we are actually ready or whether he will need to give himself sometime to be seriously ready for the games and that was why we shifted to February,” he said.
On ground to grace the opening ceremony of NIPOGA 2020 were Mr Kayode Alabi, Kwara State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulugambari the Emir of Ilorin, Dr Abdullateef Olatunji, Rector, Federal Polytechnic Offa and many other dignitaries across the country.
Alabi, who declared the games open, urged the participating institutions to abide by the rules of the games while restating the state government pro-activeness in bringing change to the sport sector through active participation in sporting activities..
NIPOGA Games was initiated to discover, nurture sporting talents and sustain physically and mentally fit youths in Nigeria polytechnics and college of technology.
Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) is the most successful institution in the competition, having won the most gold medals on seven occasions, the latest being in 2014.
