Nigeria has suspended all national and international competitions including qualifying tournaments for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games following the outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) across the globe.
The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development announced this in a circular signed by the Director, Federation of Elite Athletes Department (FEAD), Mrs Tayo Oreweme which was addressed to all National Sports Federations.
“In the effort to further ensure safe health and wellbeing of all athletes and sport loving Nigerians at large, I am directed to inform you that all National Sports Federations should suspend the organisation and/or participation in all national and international competitions, including qualification tournaments for the Tokyo 2020 and Paralympic Games,” the circular stated.
The circular further urged any federation that felt otherwise over the suspension to seek approval from the minister of sports, Sunday Dare, while advising them to strictly comply with the directives until when coronavirus outbreak has been put under control.
It will be recalled that the 20th National Sports Festival, scheduled to be held in Benin City, Edo State, was postponed on Tuesday.
The Minister of Sports said the postponement was made after his discussion with President Muhammadu Buhari over the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Following the briefing of Mr. President from myself and the Minister of State for Health on COVID-19, Mr. President approved the immediate postponement of Edo Sports festival to a future date,” he tweeted.
The NSF was slated to hold between Sunday, 22 Mar 2020 and Wednesday, 1 Apr 2020.
Similarly, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)’s management shut down all orientation camp activities nationwide as a result of the spread of coronavirus earlier today.
More coronavirus cases
The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) confirmed five new cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria earlier today.
This is bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to eight.
The minister of health, Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire, in a statement Wednesday morning, revealed that three from the new cases arrived from the United States, while two came in from the United Kingdom.
