Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, has been named the 2018 Sports Loving Governor by the Arewa Sports Personality Award Association (ASPAA).
The governor was also named the 2018 Sports Administrator at an event held in Kano on Saturday night.
Ganduje, represented by his Deputy Alhaji Nasir Gawuna, expressed the state government’s readiness to continue to promote all sporting activities in the state.
The Deputy Governor pledged that the government would sponsor the next edition of the award in order to underscore the administration’s commitment to sports development.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Dr Sanusi Muhammed, said the awards were given to notable Northerners who had contributed immensely to sports development in the north.
He appealed to politicians in the country to emulate the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting defeat after elections in good faith to enhance the nation’s socio-economic progress.
In her remarks, the Managing Director of the Kano-owned Television Station, Abubakar Rimi (ARTV), Hajiya Saadatu Ibrahim, commended the association’s efforts in organising the event.
Hajiya Ibrahim explained that association’s aim was to promote sporting activities in the Northern part of the country.
She disclosed that the association adopted a voting pattern through the internet and also non-voting process to produce winners of the awards.
The ARTV boss said the presentation of Ganduje and his deputy with the 2018 Sports awards was due to their outstanding performances in sporting activities in the North.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that sports reporters and correspondents from Print, Television and Radio stations across the North were also awarded for their reportage of sporting activities in the North. (NAN)