Sports Festival: Ondo To Feature in 23 Events, Athletes Commence Training
By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
Ondo State Sports Council (OSSC) has revealed that the state would take part in a total of twenty three various sports events at the forthcoming 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) billed to hold from December 3rd-18th, 2020.
The biennial sports festival tagged Edo 2020 will take place at the newly refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City and many other venues in the state.
In a statement by Sanni Adenike, OSSC Information Officer made available to Daily Dispatch on Thursday confirmed that the state would feature in a total of twenty three various sporting events.
Adenike remarked that in the first phase of the festival that will commence from December 3rd-10th, 2020, Ondo would feature in thirteen sports. They are abula, boxing, chess, judo, kick-boxing, swimming, taekwando, tennis, basketball, football, handball, hockey and volleyball.
Similarly, she hinted that as the second phase commences from December 11th – 17th, 2020, the state contingent would take part in another ten sports namely: athletics, para-athletics, ayo, beach volley, gymnastics, para-table tennis, table-tennis, para-powerlifting, weightlifting and wresting.
She said: “Our athletes have resumed training fully now and all hands are on desk to ensure that the state achieve a greater success at the games.
“The state had earlier prepared for the sports festival initially slated for March this year, but was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the whole world in which thousands of lives were lost globally.”
It could be recalled that the hosting of the festival this year was ratified at the National Council on Sports meetings held in Asaba, Delta State last Friday, November 6th, 2020, whereby it was agreed to stage the Nigeria version of the Olympics Games from December 3rd – 18th, 2020
Moreover, the festival has since been divided into two phases in adherence to Covid-19 protocols as being slated by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 Protocols to checkmate the spread of the virus.
