Athletics
WHY THE NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL MUST BE PUT ON HOLD
BY SMARTS EBHODAGHE
It is no longer news that the 20th National Sports Festival tagged Edo 2020 was postponed just a few days to the commencement due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The postponement was in line with the efforts of the government to check the spread of the virus that is still ravaging parts of the world in alarming proportions.
Though the number of daily infections seems to be on the downward trend in Nigeria, the relevant health authorities have continued to advise that precautions have to be taken to avoid a second wave of infections. This is the reason full-scale sporting activists have not resumed across country.
Having removed the lid a few weeks ago for contact sports to resume in Nigeria, the national sports governing body is now considering the idea of staging the postponed sports festival anytime soon. However, my concern with the laudable idea is the speed with which it wants it done as if the end is here.
More disturbing is the suggestion that the games would be staggered over weeks, into months, without the usual spectatorship. What this will imply is that the authorities just want to fulfill all righteousness that the games held, whether there were gains or not.
Naturally, the national sports festival is about the people – athletes, officials, spectators, the micro/medium business community and the government. As the name implies, it is a festival that is celebrated to have various positive impacts on the people.
The urgent desire to just have it done for the fun of it is not in the best interest of the people, and especially the host state that has sunk billions of taxpayers’ money into preparations for the games.
The intension and belief of doing so was, and still, that hosting the festival will bring about improvement in the socio-economic fortunes of the people of the state.
Before the postponement of the games was announced, vendors of diverse wares had paid for spaces within the games venues to display and market their products and services to the teeming spectators expected atthe games. What then becomes of such vendors when the games are staggered and no spectators allowed into the venues?
On the parts of the athletes who have not been training since the postponement of the games due to the lockdown that followed, how well will they compete with the short notice to come for the games?
Are they mentally, psychologically and physically prepared for the games in the immediate?
This is not the first time the National Sports Festival would be postponed in its history, especially as this latest postponement is on force majeure.
After the 18th edition hosted by Lagos State in 2012, the festival suffered multiple postponements until it eventually held in 2018 with its accompanying fanfare.
If the biggest global sporting gathering, the Olympics, earlier billed for 2020 in Tokyo, Japan could be postponed till 2021 on the account of the same Covid-19 pandemic, why the rush by Nigeria to host its national games?
The postponement is in the best interest of everyone that has one thing or the other to do with the games actively or passively.
The Edo 2020 festival can hold in the first quarter of 2021, giving the Local Organising Committee and the various sub-committees adequate opportunity to put post Covid-19 measures in place to make the games even more exciting to behold. It will also allow room to focus on the tiny details that still needed some attention even at the time of the postponement.
As it is said, anything worth doing at all is worth doing well. Let’s use this opportunity to showcase Nigeria as a country that does things properly and professionally, instead of the other way round.
The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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Nigeria has aligned with the global athletics community in supporting World Athletics’ decision to reject 11 applications for nationality transfer to Türkiye, a move that includes sprinter Favour Ofili and signals a broader clampdown on the recruitment of foreign athletes.
Diamond League – Final – Zurich – Zurich, Switzerland – August 27, 2025 Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell in action during the men’s shot put final REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
The ruling, announced on Thursday by World Athletics’ Nationality Review Panel, affects athletes from multiple countries and was based on findings that the applications were part of a coordinated, government-backed effort to bolster Türkiye’s international competitiveness ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Rather than a single case, Ofili’s situation forms part of a wider group that includes five Kenyan athletes — among them former marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei — and four Jamaicans, including Olympic medallists Roje Stona and Rajindra Campbell. Russian heptathlete Sophia Yakushina was also among those denied eligibility.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s Discus Throw Victory Ceremony – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Gold medallist Roje Stona of Jamaica celebrates on the podium. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigie
London Marathon 2024 – Women’s Elite Press Conference – London, Britain – April 18, 2024 Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei poses for a photograph ahead of the London Marathon REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
World Athletics stated that approving the applications would undermine key principles guiding the transfer of allegiance, particularly the need to maintain the integrity and credibility of national representation in global competitions.
“The panel found that the applications formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy… to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts,” the governing body said.
For Nigeria, the decision is being viewed not as an isolated intervention but as part of a wider effort to protect countries that invest in developing athletes from grassroots to elite level, only to risk losing them to wealthier nations offering financial incentives.
Officials note that the rejection highlights growing concerns about the commercialisation of national allegiance in sport, where athletes are increasingly targeted through structured programmes designed to fast-track international success.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has previously warned against such trends, stressing that nationality transfers must reflect genuine national ties rather than transactional arrangements.
The regulations governing athlete transfers were tightened in 2019 to prevent abuse and ensure fairness, following increasing cases of athletes switching allegiance under financially driven circumstances.
Although the applications were rejected, World Athletics clarified that the affected athletes — including Ofili — remain eligible to compete in one-day meetings, road races and club competitions, as well as live and train in Türkiye. However, they are barred from representing the country at major championships such as the Olympic Games and World Championships.
The decision is widely seen as a significant moment for global athletics, reinforcing the principle that national representation should be built on identity and development rather than financial inducement.
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A former president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, has commended World Athletics for rejecting the application by Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili to switch allegiance to Türkiye.
World Athletics, through its Nationality Review Panel, on Thursday turned down Ofili’s request to represent the European nation, citing concerns over the integrity of international competitions and the growing trend of athlete recruitment driven by financial incentives.
Reacting to the decision, Ogba described the ruling as a victory for fairness and a strong message in defence of developing nations that invest heavily in nurturing athletic talent.
“This is justice not just for Nigeria but for many developing countries that work tirelessly to groom athletes, only for them to be lured away by wealthier nations,” Ogba said.
The panel, in its report, noted that granting the transfer would undermine key principles, including safeguarding the credibility of national representation and discouraging the systematic recruitment of foreign athletes for global competitions.
Ofili’s case was one of 11 applications submitted by the Turkish Athletics Federation, which World Athletics linked to a broader government-backed strategy to strengthen its team ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Despite having obtained Turkish citizenship and signing a lucrative club contract, Ofili remains ineligible to compete for Türkiye in major competitions such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
Ogba singled out World Athletics President Sebastian Coe for praise, describing him as a consistent ally of developing countries.
“How can a country nurture an athlete from grassroots level to elite status, only for another nation that showed no prior interest to come with financial inducements and take them away? It is unfair and must be discouraged,” he said.
The former AFN boss also advised athletes to remain focused and avoid making career decisions driven solely by short-term financial gains. He cited global stars such as Usain Bolt, Julien Alfred, and Eliud Kipchoge, who achieved success while representing their home countries.
Ogba further warned athletes against external pressures from managers and associates, urging them to consider the long-term implications of switching nationality.
“Many athletes who left Nigeria often return after retirement seeking support. The reality is that your home country offers opportunities beyond competition — as coaches, administrators, and mentors,” he added.
He concluded by urging Nigerian athletes to remain loyal and committed, stressing that while opportunities abroad may appear attractive, long-term security and identity remain tied to their country of origin.
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