The 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled to hold this month in Edo State has again been postponed to a yet to be confirmed date in April, 2021.
The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare announced the change on Monday at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja.
Dare said that the postponement was approved owing to the scarcity of funds and the virulence of the second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Meanwhile, the minister reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to give Nigerian youths the opportunity to compete and prepare for the next Olympics.
The Minister provided more explanation on the postponement.
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“We have seen the Sports Festival postponed three times. As we speak now, most of us should have arrived Edo state getting ready for February 14, to start the Edo 2020 Sports Festival,” he said.
“But flowing from our last meeting a few things came up. There was an undertone that the postponements have occasioned some financial difficulties and strains on the host state, and I dare say even on our part as the Ministry the postponements have also occasioned some financial difficulties
The Sports Festival which had been postponed several times, was to have taken place from Feb. 14 to Feb. 28, 2021, in Benin, the Edo capital.
