The much anticipated National Sports Festival tagged ‘Edo 2020’ billed for December has again been postponed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 due to the continuous spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha has asked the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports and host, Edo State Government to postpone the festival.

The National Sports Festival tagged ‘Edo 2020’ was initially scheduled to hold in March 2020 but was postponed indefinitely for the first time due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chairman Organising Committee who doubles as the Deputy Governor of Edo state, Phillip Shuaibu, frowned at the turning down of the kick-off date of the championship which supposed to start on December 5th.

While speaking with newsmen in Edo state, Phillip said; “How can PTF who approved that we can now start contact sports, the same PTF approves opening of NYSC camps across the country. The same PTF approves that we can all go to churches and mosques. All the market places are opened and you say we can not hold National Sports Festival.

“Now, this is sports where we can control the crowd that comes to the stadium.” He concluded.

The PTF on Coronavirus lifted ban on contact sports in October, 2020 and that paved the way for the Ministry of Sports and Edo State Government to come up with December 3rd to 18th date for the Edo 2020 Festival.

With this new development, the much awaited National Sports Festival will no longer hold this year. This will bring up many issues as many States in Nigeria had commenced close camping of their athletes before the announcement on Tuesday.