SWAN Honours Wikki Tourists, Warinje FC for Promotion Feats

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The Bauchi State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has honoured Wikki Tourists Football Club and Warinje Football Club with certificates of recognition following their promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria National League (NNL), respectively.

The presentation was held on Friday at the Secretariat of the Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) with SWAN Chairman, Bala Bawaji, leading the ceremony.

Bawaji said the gesture was to celebrate the clubs’ remarkable achievements, describing them as “a pride to Bauchi State,” while assuring that SWAN would continue to promote their matches and activities.

National Ex-Officio of SWAN, Usman Abbas, lauded the teams for restoring Bauchi’s place as the “Mecca of Sports” in Nigeria, while NUJ Bauchi Chairman, Umar Sa’idu, applauded SWAN for recognizing the resilience and dedication of the clubs.

Chairman of Wikki Tourists Management, Engineer Mohammed Auwal Gotal, expressed delight that the team had fulfilled the mandate given by Governor Bala Mohammed to return to the NPFL.

Gotal assured that management was working to strengthen the squad with new players to make it a formidable force.

He commended the state governor for his unwavering support to the club.

On his part, President of Warinje FC, Abubakar Mai Auduga, described the recognition as historic, noting that it was the first time the privately funded club was being honoured.

Auduga explained that the club was established to provide a platform for young talents, disclosing that eight of its players are currently featuring in the NPFL.

“This is a pride not just to Warinje but to Bauchi State,” he said.