Edo 2020 NSF: Team Ogun Enrols In 32 Sports, Targets Medals Haul

ADEJOKE ADELEYE, Abeokuta

As many states across Nigeria are getting ready for the next month’s 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) slated for Edo State, P.M. EXPRESS can report that Ogun State Sports Council will be fighting for medals in 32 sporting events at the fiesta.

Mrs. Rotimi Folakemi Iyabode, the Acting Director of Sports, Ogun State Sports Council expressed this while speaking on the state’s preparation for the festival, noting that the state in her usual way of doing things has started preparation for the Nigeria version of Olympic Games in the ancient city of Benin Kingdom long ago.

She mentioned that the athletes would compete in abula, badminton, chess, darts, karate, kick-boxing, kungfu, rugby, scrabble, squash, swimming, tennis and wrestling for the phase one which commence on December 3rd-10th, 2020.

“For the second phase, which will hold from December 12th – 16th, 2020, 0gun will vie for honour in athletics, deaf-athletics, para-athletics, ayo, dambe, golf, gymnastics, judo, beach volleyball, and deaf-table tennis. Others are para-table tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, para-powerlifting and weightlifting.

“In the same vein, our athletes will partake in boxing, cricket, volleyball, and cycling being parts of sports that are overlapping into the second phases beginning from December 7th – 15th, 2020,” she hinted.

It could be recalled that the biennial sports festival earlier scheduled for March, 2020 was postponed due to the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the whole world, whereby thousands of lives were lost globally.

However, the festival has been divided into two phases holding from December 3rd – 18th, 2020 at the newly reconstructed Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City and many other venues within the ancient city.

Furthermore, Iyabode, former national tennis player said: “According to our own way of doing things in Ogun State, it is always Iseya, omo Ogun iseya. So, whenever we finished a festival, the following day when we get back to the state, it is to start preparation for the next festival.

“As for this festival, we have began preparation since. It was just because of the issue of the Covid-19 pandemic that made some sports people to stay at home for sometime. But, at the period that the Federal Government allowed us to start sporting activities in Nigeria and in Ogun state, we have started fully.”

“As usual our athletes are so dedicated, hardworking, also the officials, as we can see now that in the past few days we have been deliberating, cracking brains and coming to work early everyday and close work late to ensure that we perform better than before at the festival.

“So in Ogun State, both the athletes and officials too, we are ready. Our target is to do better than what we have been doing before, we are promising several gold medal at the event.

“Already we are in the open camp, but very soon, the athletes and their coaches will embark on closed camping ahead of the festival.”