ABSU President lauds Kebbi State Government for beach soccer pitch allocation

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The President of the African Beach Soccer Union (ABSU) and National Coordinator of the Nigeria Beach Soccer League (NBSL), Mahmud Hadejia, has expressed his gratitude to the Kebbi State Government for designating a section of the Haliru Abdu Stadium in Birnin Kebbi for the development of a modern beach soccer facility.

On Thursday, April 3, 2025, Hadejia, accompanied by a team of experts and officials from the State Government and the Kebbi Beach Soccer Association, conducted a site inspection in preparation for the establishment of a world-class beach soccer arena in Kebbi State.

This initiative coincides with the State’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of beach soccer’s introduction in the region.

“We are here to evaluate the area allocated to the Kebbi Beach Soccer Association for beach soccer activities at the Haliru Abdu Stadium, as designated by the Kebbi State Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development,” he stated.

“This occasion is particularly significant as Kebbi State commemorates a decade of beach soccer. I vividly recall our introduction of the sport in 2015 with a local tournament in Zauro Town. For some time, we have been utilizing the horse race course (Filin Sukuwa) in the state capital for our games. The Government has generously decided to provide a permanent venue with appropriate facilities for beach soccer, akin to other sports, enabling us to host both national and international competitions.

“Kebbi State has a history of hosting beach soccer events. I remember two occasions when we welcomed the Nigeria Beach Soccer team (Super Sand Eagles) for training camps and friendly matches, as well as hosting international clubs from Africa and players from Europe. Recently, we also hosted the first round of the Nigeria Beach Soccer League (NBSL). It is indeed time for Kebbi to have a standard beach soccer facility comparable to those in other regions.”