By Amaechi Agbo
The 2020 National Sports Festival, NSF slated for Benin City, Edo State, will last for at least five weeks.
The minister of youth and sports development, Sunday Dare confirmed this in an interview.
The Minister who expressed optimism that the biennial event will hold this year, noted that with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will be organised in a staggered manner which will make it last for at least a period five weeks.
“We are hopeful the National sports festival can happen (This year). The fact is that football and contact sports are back. It means that there is hope for sports festival,” the minister said.
Explaining the rational for the longer period for the festival, the minister said the event will hold in batches
“We will be approaching the PTF with a staggered plan so that we will not have the concentration of 5000 to 7000 athletes in Benin City at the same time.
“It is going to be a longer period of five weeks.
“Then we bring in our athletes in batches and they will compete and go back. We are glad there is a green light and we are almost certain that we will have the sports festival this year but we have to present to the PTF a staggered plan that is detailed and shows that we are ready to have the sports festival.”
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