The Kano Para-Soccer team, Kano Pillars, has emerged champions of the just-concluded National Para-Soccer tournament.
The Para-Soccer Federation of Nigeria (PFN) organised the tournament from Oct. 24 - 28 to mark the World Polio Day in Abuja.
The final match, played at Package B of the Abuja National Stadium, witnessed a thrilling encounter between the Kano and Plateau para-soccer teams.
Kano Pillars and Plateau drew 3-3 at the end of the first half, but the Plateau team could not score any goal in the second half.
The game ended 6-3, in favour of Kano, at the end of a gruelling encounter.
In the third place match played earlier, Nasarawa beat Niger State 5-3 in penalty shoot-outs after the game ended 1-1 at regulation time.
Hon. Godfrey Gaya, who spoke to reporters after the match, expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the tournament.
``I am very excited at the way this tournament was very well organised.
``It is indeed beyond what I expected and I must commend the organisers for bringing such skillful players together from across the country," he said.
Gaya called for the inclusion of the para-soccer game in the National Sports Festival.
``If you recall, when things were not favourable for Nigeria in terms of medals at the London Olympics, it was the para-olympians that brought honour to our fatherland.
``Without those medals which our para-olympians won, Nigeria would have come home with nothing," he said.
``So, I think it is important that we give our physically-challenged athletes an opportunity to participate in the National Sports Festival.
``Who knows if they may be the ones to bring Nigeria her first World Cup," Gaya said.
The President of the Federation, Misbahu Didi, applauded the states for participating in the tourney.
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