Edo State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, (LOC) for the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has assured that all the venues and facilities for the festival will be ready for use by December 31st, 2019.
The event is scheduled for March 22 to April 1, 2020, and the Deputy Governor has assured that the problem of infrastructure has been solved with the new-look international standard Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and other complementary venues already nearing 85-95% completion.
Shaibu noted that asides the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Edo State was the first state to have a double game event for squash while the Ogbemudia Stadium itself now has an Assisted Video Recorder (AVR) facility ready for use.
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Towards ensuring the overall success of the Games, he said the 12 inaugurated sub-committees were working round the clock, adding that formal fundraising has been scheduled for Lagos being headquarters and home to most corporate organizations.
The deputy governor confirmed that the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) will commence a training programme for desk officers who are expected to handle the accreditation of athletes and officials for the competition from October 30 to 31, 2019.
The services of between 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers would be needed to aid the smooth management of the Games and they would be sourced through a placed advertisement on the Games’ portal to make for the smooth running of the Games tagged, “Return of the native.”
He said, “Edo was on recess for 11-12 years which made Nigeria lose its potentials. We are ready to host the other 35 states and Abuja in the return of the native. Edo State is ready to take its pride of place concerning sports.”
Shaibu stated that apart from hosting to win straight at the sports fiesta, there was a conscious attempt at merging sports with education with the building of 20 mini stadia in the 18 local governments of Edo State with the objective to harness young talents from secondary schools.