By Correspondent in Minna
With the cuntdown to the National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Edo 2020 but rescheduled for next months’ February 14th, 2021, Niger state government has denied speculations about possibility of the state pulling out of the national sporting event.
The Reporters reports that the clarifications is coming against the backdrop of speculation I some quarters in the state that the state government is contemplating pulling out of the festival re-scheduled for the third time because.
The online publication further reports that the speculation was reinforced on the basis of what some sports enthusiasts described as lack of facilities/equipment for training, noting that the available ones are in state of disrepair’.
Our finding indicates that, the state at the moment, has no single Squash Court for the training of players after last year’s rainstorm that destroyed the twin court at David Mark road while the Tennis Court within the same facility is also not in proper shape.
The commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Emmanuel Umar could not be reached for comments, but work on the multi-million naira Sports Village, initiated by the Governor Bello led administration at Bahago Secondary School round-about, Minna, has been suspended.
No Contractor or site workers available within the vicinity for comments as the area looked months of abandonment when our correspondent visited the Bahago round-about Sports Village to assess the level of work therein.
However,in quick reaction to the specification, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Yunusa Mohammed Nahauni said there was no cause for alarm, assuring them that efforts were on to revamp the number of facilities to boost sporting activities in the state.
Our Correspondent also gathered that the strength of state contingent, number of sporting events to feature in, estimated monetary cost and other variables are yet to be decided.
Nahauni,who described as ‘mere rumour’ the yboycot assured that the states’ participation would be determined by the available resources.
He told our correspondent that the Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello led administration was doing all that is humanly possible to ensure that the numerous challenges bedeviling the state do not deprive it the opportunity of being part of the ‘Edo 2020’ sports fiesta.
Nahauni, who however, said he would soon commence familiarization tour of all sporting facilities ahead of the national festival, barely 22 days away, expressed optimisms that the state contingent would perform exceedingly well and bring back medals.
The numerous challenges, including banditary, attacks, coronavirus pandemic notwithstanding, Nahauni said, “Niger state is seriously preparing for the National Sports Festival taking place in Edo state between 14th and 28th February, 2021”.
While also denying preferential treatment for football against other sports aimed at providing opportunities for willing unemployed youths to discover their talents,Nahauni said the state would soon make public,final arrangement ahead of the National Sports Festival.
