The Games village for the 2020 National Sports Festival will officially open today as thousands of athletes and officials from the 36 states and the federal Capital Territory troop into Benin City for the biennial games.
After suffering several postponements, the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival will be staged from April 2-14 in Edo State.
Meanwhile, the acting director of Sports in the FCT, Luka Istifanus, has said the contingent from the territory is targeting medals in 27 events lined up for the festival.
The director in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Vivian Uttah Onubogu said FCT will be competing in events such as football, handball, Judo, taekwondo, gymnastics, badminton, squash, hockey, Lawn tennis, and table tennis.
According to the director, athletes who are to represent the territory had intensive training at the packages A and B of the MKO Abiola national stadium, Mambila Barracks and the Area 10 sports centre.
Istifanus, therefore, said going by the morale in the camp of the FCT, he is confident that FCT athletes are not going to Benin just to make up the numbers.
“With the support of our sports loving Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, we have done everything humanly possible to get our athletes in top shape for the festival.
“The Minister is our number one supporter and we are determined not to let him and the teeming residents of the territory down.
“To win medals and improve on our past performance, only the best athletes have been selected to don the colours of the FCT in Benin City,” he said.
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