The COVID-19 Inspection Committee for the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) has proposed Oct. 25 to Nov. 4 as tentative dates for the commencement of the festival.
Tonobok Okowa, Chairman of the committee, which was set up by the National Council on Sports, disclosed this while addressing newsmen on Friday in Benin.
“We have suggested that it can be possible to open the festival on Oct. 22, with the opening ceremony on Oct. 25 and the closing ceremony on Nov. 4.
“But these dates are tentative, and not confirmed. We can only suggest.
“This committee can only suggest to the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development these tentative dates. The ministry will decide when it’s best or when it will be possible to host the festival.
“We have discussed at length with the Edo state team and they have suggested this October date.
“We have also suggested to them areas they have to improve on. They have noted them and they gave us a promise and we are going to come to inspect to ensure have fulfilled the promise later,” he said.
In his remarks, the Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who is Chairman of the 20th NSF Local Organising Committee (LOC), said the state government has taken the coronavirus pandemic very seriously.
Shaibu said the COVID-19 prevention team in the state had been doing well in curbing the pandemic.(NAN)
