National Sports Festival: MOC informs states of new dates

THE organisers of the National Sports Festival have notified states’ sports councils of the new schedule for the event.

The festival has been postponed three times, and it was announced in February that it would be held in April, with no specific dates given.

The Main Organising Committee of the event, under the supervision of the sports ministry, has now sent letters to all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory informing them of the new time table.

In one of the letters to one of the states made available to Naija Times on Friday, it is stated that the festival will be held in Benin City, Edo State from 2 April to 14 April.

According to the letter dated Thursday, 10 March and signed by the Secretary of the MOC Peter Nelson, the Games Village will be opened on 2 April while the opening ceremony will be held on 4 April.

Medals will be completed of until 14 April when the closing ceremony will be held. The Games Village will be officially closed the following day.

The Edo 2020 National Sports Festival was first scheduled for March 2020 but the outbreak of coronavirus prompted the first postponement as the whole world shut down.

Subsequent December and February dates were eventually not feasible due to a number of factors, including funding.

The Edo State government appealed for financial assistance from the Federal Government in order to host properly and it appears they have reached an agreement.