DO WE NEED GAMES AND SPORTS IN THE NORTH?

[Dan-Sokoto]

Assalaam Alaikum!

Permit me to observe that, the culture of games and sporting activities is dying generally across Nigeria but more so in Northern Nigeria particularly among us hausawas.

The last time i visited my alma mater secondry school in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, i could not locate our used to be football or soccer field, neither could i see the athletic, hockey or volley ball pitches. As i could see, they have all become built up areas curved up as plots for people to build houses. I was and am still bleeding from the heart for our society.

If my observation is correct, is this a good or bad omen for us? Do we really need games and sporting activities as part of an important aspects of our life that we need to pay attention and encourage?

Who should participate in these activities?

I will appreciate response from ALL on this issue.

To start with me, i am of the opinion that, games and sporting activities are very very fundamental to human development that we need to encourage as part of our culture.

Apart from the encouragement at all schooling levels, i want to see it at personal level across all gender and ages. Example, i want to see maigida and Matan sa ko matarsa involved, i want to see our senior citizens also encouraged to do so. Anytime, i am home, i always try to get my grand mother (a senior citizen) to go on a work with me even if it is for some few hundred meters, the same for my Mom.

No group where this important aspect of life is neglected like amongst our girls. I want to see our girls participate actively in sporting activities, but dress decently as moslems.

Sporting activities promote a healthy and quality life that will positively impact on our contribution to our society.

These are my thoughts folks.

Ma'assalaam Dan-Sokoto.

[Fulanizzle]

 
Salam D-SK , the issue here isnt even about trying to fit sports into our culture.... this is a whole HEALTH thing.....we NEED excercise every now and then....:) ..... sports/excersise is important in fitness and recreational aspects :)

But as long  as sports hall, gyms are not mixed (males and females) , aint no trouble... And also as long as the women's coach/ trainer is  a female and  the men's coach/trainer is a male.....

But I doubt very much many hausa men will permit their wives to take part in such activities :-/

Oh by the way sports/activities  can be done in the house or within the house back yard.... for those men who wouldnt want their women going to gyms  ;)

Salam........ May Allah be with us...Insha Allah :)

[Blaqueen]

yeah.. of course we do!!!! :D!! i've done almost aaaaaalll sports!!!! all the way from volleyball to soccer to ultimate frisbee to cheerin' to basketball to baseball to softball to tennis to swimmin'...etc etc...

and best believe i'm goin' for more.... i gotta go sky divin'.... i'll go hikin' soon.... i'll raft... i'll go bicyclin' in a safari... i'll go mountain bikin'..... and Allah ka nufe ni da yin haka!!!!

yeah... izzz all good...  :) i hope to promote sports in nigeria.. i dunno. maybe open a community center with sport activities... kids will get to travel... compete... conquer.. experience...

;D

[Anonymous]

Certainly!!! We need sports. Its not only football, but games like tennpin bowling, BB & so on. but d way I c it, its only football... all them Kanu & rest. How about winin championship by Nigerians as best basket ballers.. throwin Michael Jordan out!!!!!!!!hmmmm :P Yes am with d second lady up there its not putting sports' n' culture 2gether. How about Health wise & Nijaz being proud winners of so many sporty activities. Yes we need sports!!!

[Anonymous]

Yup!! We surely du need other activities. Any thrill seekers & risk takers 4 Bugee Jumpin & scuba diving its surely fun!!!utin  

[Ummulhuda]

Assalaam Alaikum!

The last time i visited my alma mater secondry school in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, i could not locate our used to be football or soccer field, neither could i see the athletic, hockey or volley ball pitches. As i could see, they have all become built up areas curved up as plots for people to build houses. I was and am still bleeding from the heart for our society.
Do we really need games and sporting activities as part of an important aspects of our life that we need to pay attention and encourage?





FDQ, love all those sports you mentioned and WOW you're one active GURL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On a serious note though, D/S, you have touched a raw topic here! ?Especially about the carve outs! Do you notice that now in Kano there are virtually no open spaces for our youths to vent their energies and frustrations in? Two examples will suffice: The football field along Aminu Kano Rd in Goron Dutse was converted to plots for the ppl who were dispossessed of their homes to make way for Mambayya House.
More recently, the football field opposite Kofar Gadan Kaya is being converted into a Qur'anic College. I'm not advocating that it is not good to have a Qur'anic college, but it does not have to be at that particular site.
These open spaces are very important to the welbeing of our youths because the games of football that they play in the fields stop them from getting into trouble and motivate them into trying and making something of their lives.
Most male children spend their leisure hours out of doors for the simple reason that the high density residential quarters of Kano city dictate this kind of lifestyle. In recent years, the Youths have found a more sedate, less space demanding sport in the form of snooker/billiards. And it drives me absolutely berserk when I hear some ppl condemning it as idleness, or complaining that it stops the youth from performing religious obligations! Well if a teenager is wont to neglect a religious obligation in favour of a snooker table, then it is the fault of his upbringing and not the ?snooker table! And there is no point in crying over spilt milk!
The point I'm driving at through all this diatribe is that WE NEED SPORTS especially for the young'uns.
Would we rather see our youth range themselves along a wall drowning their woes by smoking ganye and spacing out for lack of anything better to do? Or worse still, would we rather see them wielding Kwari da Baka as ?rival gangs of 'yan daba da 'yan farauta? Isn't it better to let them get rid of their boisterous energies in a less dangerous fashion? ?

[nura]

Talking about carve out and sports and Kano, there are a lot of space in Kano, I dont know why our people like chocking up. No wonder these days the town is soooooo hot and the air so chockyy and waste every where. The average Kano man wants to live inside the ganuwa and that place has since been filled up. Let them allow the mini stadia and sport centers to be. Our former leaders are more focus than the good for nothing that are ruling us now, space bring air and reduce diseases but our people are more interested in coupling house to house. There goes our fresh air and sport centers.

[iblink]

Assalmu alaikum,
     I`m new here so i guess i`ll start by introducing myself. I`m ibrahim from Abuja. Well on the issue concerning games and sports in the north, i believe we certainly need games and sports in the north. As u can all see sports expecially sports like football are the only things that unites nigerians. So in the north, sports and games are despirately needed. Sports will keep all those jobless and uneducated people in the north busy instead of them just waiting for a silly excuses to course problems in the community and invade other peoples privacy. And another reason for the neccesity of games and sports in the north is atleast talents will be noticed. anywayz there r lots of reasons for sports in the north but i think i have mentioned the most improtant ones. ;)