20th National Sports Festival - To Hold Or Not to Hold [Minister Explains... ]

 

Heads bent and faces fall at Teslim Balogun Stadium, where Lagos State athletes were putting finishing touches to their training on Monday in anticipation to the 20th National Sports Festival tagged Edo 2021, scheduled to start on Valentine's day February 14. But the grapevine filled the air that the festival would be postponed once again. 

By late afternoon on Monday, the announcement has been made: "The 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) has been postponed to April (no date given) as a result of the second wave of COVID-19.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, made the disclosure on Monday at the media briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

It would be recalled the festival was originally meant to take place between March and April 2020 in Benin City Edo but was indefinitely postponed as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

The February 14th to February 24th 2021 for the multi-sports competition was approved by Extra- Ordinary National Council on Sports (NCS).

But again, the Presidential Task Force halted the commencement. The minister said the reason for the new date was based on the science of the virulent nature of the second wave of COVID-19.