By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
Katsina State Fives Club, on Saturday defeated Kebbi State Fives Club to emerge winners of the maiden edition of Emir of Gwandu National Fives Competition held in Birnin Kebbi.
After two rounds in the game, Katsina side earned eleven goals to defeat Kebbi club who scored eight goals in the last lap of the game.
Speaking shortly after the final, the national chairman and convener of the event, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu Dangaladima (Tukuran Gwandu) said that about eight states competed at different categories of the fives game drawn from Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Niger and Sokoto among participating states.
For gender balance, he said female players also played in intermediate category where Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto won trophies.
“We have decided to put female players for gender balance but all the women who participated were veiled to ensure morality inherent in our culture and religion “.
Tukuran Gwandu thanked the emir of Gwandu for the opportunity he gave him to host the national competition in Kebbi State, he also commended the visiting teams for their courage, resilience and spirits of sportsmanship for competing from group stage, elimination and the final stage.
Earlier, the host, chairman, Birnin Kebbi Local Government, Alhaji Dahiru Na Yaya, said that sports unite people from all walks of life so what is being witnessed today indicated that the country and Kebbi state is united under Governor Nasir Idris and President Bola Tinubu.
“We welcome you all to Kebbi state and we wish everyone safe return to your various destinations he said”.
The final was attended by the representative of emir of Gwandu, the Magajin Garin Gwandu, Alhaji Aminulah, Ubandoman Gwandu, permanent secretary ministry of lands, Alhaji Abubakar Raba (Sarkin Yan Sarki) and a host of other dignitaries.