From Daniel Dauda,Jos



The North Central Zonal finals of the National Principals Cup Competition has held in Jos Plateau State Capital.

The competition which is specifically designed for secondary schools students is organized by the Federal ministry Youth and sports development as participating states drawn from Plateau, Federal Capital Territory,FCT, Abuja, Kogi and Kwara with the exception of Niger, Benue and Nasarawa States.

Participants who converge at Rwang Pam Township stadia compete on three sporting events such as; athletics, table tennis and football respectively.

Our correspondent learned that the National Principals Cup Competition has been onhold for decades.

According to Mr. Saka Akims Zonal coordinator Federal ministry of youth and sports development; the competition has been revive and revamp by the Honourable minister of Youth and Sports Sunday Dare.

He said the aim is to discover talents at the grassroot, that is secondary school because they have produced many national athletes. 

"The national athletes are aging and there is no need to go start looking for foreign players. So the only way to go is to go back secondary schools to give this child the opportunity to exhibit their sporting talents and make carrier out of it".

He revealed that the competition is going to annual." Today we are doing the Zonal finals. The states finals have conducted and concluded on the 12th March,2021, from 27th March to 3rd April is going to be a National finals. Only the first position that will qualify for the national finals in Abuja.

"We have three sporting events which is athletics, table tennis and football and it is ongoing across the six geopolitical zone from 18th-22nd March, 2021.
Only one state will qualify for the final in each of competition in Abuja", Akims mentioned.

He also acknowledge that all participants are secondary school students and there is no age limit as they have conducted a thorough screening before the commencement of the competition.