The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, the Kano chapter, has urged the state government to immortalise the 22 athletes who died in a road accident while returning from the Ogun Gateway Games in 2025.

The association’s secretary, Muhammad Nur-Tijani, made the call in a statement on Sunday to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragedy.

“SWAN suggests that a sports facility in the state be named after the deceased or a new facility be established in their honour to nurture young talents and promote the development of future champions,” it said.

Twenty-two Kano athletes lost their lives a few kilometres away from Kano City while returning from the Ogun Gateway Games on May 31, 2025.

According to the statement, the athletes’ untimely deaths remain a profound loss to the sporting community and the state; hence, the need to recognise their contributions and preserve their legacies.

“In honour of the fallen athletes, SWAN calls on the Kano state government to commemorate their lives through enduring initiatives,” the statement said.

The association also appealed to the government to strengthen grassroots sports programmes and improve facilities across the state, stressing that such efforts were crucial for discovering and nurturing emerging athletes.

It further encouraged athletes and sports enthusiasts to remember the deceased in prayers and to organise tournaments in their memory, noting that such acts would celebrate their contributions and ensure their impact on Kano sports is never forgotten.

“May the memories of these athletes continue to inspire excellence, discipline and passion within Kano state’s sporting fraternity,” the statement added.

(NAN)