Athletes Express Disappointment And Shock As Buhari Postpones NSF – Punch Newspapers

Our reporters

The decision of the president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.), To postpone the 20th national sport festival in Edo State has left many athletes and officials devastated.

The national sports holiday was scheduled from March 22 to April 1 in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, before being suspended by the president due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Youth and Sports Development Minister Sunday Dare announced the postponement Tuesday after meeting with the president.

Dare said: We just had a meeting (Tuesday), we went to brief the President, the Minister of State for Health and myself. And after meeting with the president, he made the decision to postpone the National Sports Festival, otherwise known as Edo 2020, as a precautionary measure and as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19.

Earlier in the morning (Tuesday), I had a meeting with the Minister of Health, the Minister of State for Health, the permanent secretary of the ministry and the director general of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control , where we made the decision to inform the President, so that a decision can be made in the interest of not only Nigerians but sportsmen who were planning to converge for the festival, said Dare to journalists.

A number of athletes, who spoke with our correspondents about the change, expressed their disappointment after the preparations for the festival.

National 400m Hurdles champion Timothy Emoghene, who aims to use the festival to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, expressed dismay at the indefinite delay.

I am extremely unhappy with the postponement because I have been training since November, and suspending the event until further notice really hurts. But we have to take it in good faith, said Emoghene, who holds a season record of 50.51 seconds.

We have worked hard, sincerely, it is a setback but we all know it is for the good of all, said Patience Okon-George, 400m runner.

Adeyinka Ibrahim, a para-powerlifter, said: “This is shocking news for all the athletes in Nigeria, because right now, various states are in the camp to prepare for the festival; some athletes have traveled far for this event. So this is our fate.

According to veteran table tennis star Funke Oshonaike, stopping the festival is not necessary.

Why should we postpone this when they haven't stopped people from going to markets, churches, mosques? Do you know that the Eko market is more (populated) than the festival? We must first do the right things before we stop the other. Unnecessary panic will not help anyone in Nigeria, she said.

Nigeria's number one chess player Daniel Anwuli shares the same opinion with Oshonaike.

He said: We have airports, schools, churches, shopping centers with millions of people who still operate daily. And they think the NSF is the problem. Other measures could have been taken to control the spread of the coronavirus, possibly airports.

My point is that NSF is not supposed to be their target. The global level of chess begins today (Tuesday) in Russia with thousands of people at the opening ceremony and they had adequate measures. Maybe I am speaking as a sportsman, but I am sure it is a political decision and not because they care about it.

For Oyeniyi Abejoye, an obstacle, the fact that the NSF was pushed back indefinitely without a new date only made matters worse.

Although it has not been definitively canceled, the fact that we do not know the date when he would have it again is what makes him sad. This would allow us to plan ahead and prepare. For someone like me, it has scattered my calendar, but we have no choice, we still have to plan, he told PUNCH.

Many other athletes, who also expressed their misery, believe that the decision to suspend the festival was timely for health reasons.

"Well, all I just want to believe is that the presidents are moving over the postponement is not for any other reason than to ensure the safety of Nigerians," said the athlete. table tennis Tosin Oribamise.

It's going to be difficult for the athletes because most of us have prepared so much for the festival. It is only three days before the start of the Games, it is heartbreak for Nigerian athletes. But we just have to accept the president's decision and believe that it is for our own protection and security.

Table tennis star Koleosho Ahmed said: Naturally, every athlete would be disappointed, but the government acted on the advice of the Ministry of Health. So I expect all athletes to understand because being healthy comes first.

Some officials also discussed with our correspondents the indefinite postponement.

It is painful when you consider the efforts made by the athletes. Most of them are so prepared for the games, especially those who lost in the previous edition. We also have certain states that their players are in Europe; some have just arrived for the games and others still in transit.

But above all, it is important that health and safety comes first. Supporters, athletes and the public must be secure, the decision made by the presidency is therefore correct. Its in tune with the world and we cannot act differently, said the president of the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation, Ishaku Tikon.

Table tennis coach Dotun Omoniyi admitted that President Buharis' decision was the right thing to do.

Some of our athletes are very devastated but over time they will recover, said Omoniyi.

It is very painful because we have been at the camp, training for this festival. I knew that once locked up all over Europe, it would affect us. But the decision is made for health reasons.

By Johnny Edward, Kelvin Ekerete, Tosin Oluwalowo, Ebenezer Bajela and Solape Lawal-Solarin

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