By Hussaini Ibrahim
The Kano State Universal Basic Education Board has flagged off the 2026 Basic Education Schools Sports Competition across designated centres in the state, reaffirming its commitment to youth development through sports.
Speaking at the flag-off, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Malam Yusuf Kabir, said the initiative was aimed at discovering young talents, promoting unity among pupils, and enhancing their overall health and wellbeing.
Kabir, who was represented by the Director of Academic Services, Ibrahim Yahuza, spoke at the events held at the Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil, and Abubakar Ila Special Primary School.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Corporate Communications, Balarabe Danlami Jazuli, a copy of which was made available to The PUNCH.
Kabir described the competition as a strategic platform to harness the sporting potential of young learners across the state.
According to him, the 2026 edition of the competition focuses exclusively on football and features participants drawn from public primary and Junior Secondary Schools.
He explained that primary school pupils aged 12 and under, as well as JSS students aged 15 and under, were selected to participate in the competition.
“Each Local Government Education Authority has presented teams to represent their respective areas, with each team comprising 18 players in both primary and JSS categories to ensure inclusiveness and broad participation,” he said.
Kabir added that the competition is being organised in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission, reflecting a strong partnership aimed at promoting co-curricular activities within the basic education system.
He noted that matches would be played across eight strategic zones, including Wudil, Rano, Dala/Kumbotso (D/Kudu Stadium), Tarauni/Wudil axis, Gwarzo, Bichi, Dambatta, and Gwale, to ensure wide grassroots engagement.
The chairman further explained that game durations had been set at 30 minutes for primary school pupils and 40 minutes for JSS teams.
He said the competition, which commenced on March 30, would run until April 10, 2026.
“To ensure fairness and professionalism, six referees have been engaged, including four from the State Sports Commission, one from the Ministry of Education, and one from Tarauni,” he added.
Kabir stated that the initiative was not only designed to promote healthy competition but also to identify outstanding players who would represent Kano State at the forthcoming North-West Zonal Competition scheduled for June 2026.
He emphasised that the competition would strictly adhere to the rules and regulations of the Nigeria School Sports Federation to ensure credibility and standardisation.
“At the end of the tournament, winners in both primary and JSS categories will receive giant trophies, gold medals, and school bags.
“Second-place teams will be awarded replicas of the trophies, silver medals, exercise books, and mathematics sets, while third-place finishers will receive bronze medals,” he said.
The SUBEB boss also stressed that all participating players must be bona fide students of their respective schools, noting that each Local Government Education Authority was responsible for selecting eligible participants.
He added that the competition marks another significant step by the board in nurturing young talents and promoting holistic education across Kano State.