EDO 2020: We’ll show the world what national sports festival should be, LOC boasts

Ahead of the 2020 edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF) billed to hold in Benin City, the Edo State government has expressed its intention to host a remarkable event.

Edo was handed the hosting rights of the 20th NSF by the Ministry of Youth and Sports under the leadership of Barr. Solomon Dalung at the grand finale of the 19th edition in Abuja 2018.

Although the state would be having its gubernatorial election this year, the Sports fiesta has been fixed to hold between March 20 and April 3, 2020.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, who doubles as the Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Edo 2020, charged a six-man committee inaugurated to prepare a road map for a successful outing of Team Edo.

“We must not fail,” Shaibu told the committee headed by Godwin Dudu-Orumen, Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission.

Read Also: Gov Obaseki assures excellence as Edo to host 20th Nat’l Sports Festival

“We are committing all these resources because we want to redefine national competitive sports in Nigeria.

“We are not just hosting, we are hosting to win and win clean and show the world what national sports festivals should be.

“There’s no automatic ticket for anybody. Every athlete, old or young, has to compete for a place in the 32 sports lined up for the festival,” he added.

The NSF is a biennial multi-sports event, which was originally conceived as a “unifying tool” with the main purpose of promoting peace and cross-cultural affiliation in Nigeria after the Nigerian Civil War in 1970.

The festival has held only a total of 19 times as it could not be held in some years due to hitches in preparations by states that were given the hosting rights.

Again, the Edo 2020 is billed to happen between March 20 and April 3, 2020.

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