11, 638 athletes, officials to participate in 19th National Sports Festival

11, 638 athletes, officials to participate in 19th National Sports Festival By Amaechi Agbo A total of 11, 638 athletes and officials will participate at the 19th edition of the National Sports Festival, NSF, scheduled to hold in Abuja next month. This disclosure was made by the Secretary, Main Organising Committee for the 2018 NSF, Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi, in an interview with newsmen.   Mr Kulu-Akinyemi who debunk insulations that the festival might not hold in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, said that the events to mark the official opening and closing days of the festival started on March 29 this year.  Mrs Kulu-Akinyemi who is a director in charge of planning in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, however said that the 11, 638 participants are subject to downward review after a meeting with the officials of each participating states including the FCT that will hold from 13 to 20 November, 2018. “We already have a timeline for the festival which kicked off from 29th March this year with inauguration of the Main Organising Committee, MOC. If you look at the programme, we have covered up to item number 21. There are 29 events and activities lined up by the committee since March and we have been carrying them religiously. We have not missed a single one. The item number 20 was carried out and we sent out letters of invitation to all invited officiating officers. “The next item in the programme schedule is Delegation Registration Meeting which will hold from 13th to 20th November. In that meeting, we expect all the states to come and authenticate what they have submitted so far either through online or in hard copy.  “The online registration platform was shut down on Wednesday midnight and at the end of the registration, we have a total of 11, 638 entries comprising athletes and officials. This is a long list. Even when we go for international multi competitions, what happens is that they give you a window to entre all your athletes. What can happen to the list of registered participants is that we can only have less, we cannot have more than that figure.  “So when they come for the meeting, all they will do is to reduce the numbers so that we know how many athletes are participating and how many officials are coming so that it will help us to plan in feeding and accommodation. Reducing the number will be done in consideration of several factors. So that when they come here in December, they will have a comfortable meal to eat and a good place to stay.  “NSF has already started. National Sports festival as far as we are concerned started on March 29 after the inauguration of the Main Organisating Committee. But the official opening day is December 6. So we are good to go,” Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi said.   On the preparedness of the committee in getting the facilities ready ahead of the festival, as well as other logistics and security put in place to ensure a smooth, seamless and successful 19th edition of the NSF, Kulu-Akinyemi expressed optimism that all hands are on deck to ensure the success of the event with various sub-committees constituted to carter for the departments of the festival. “We are on top of it. If you have visited the games village recently, I challenge you to visit the place again in two weeks and you will see what is going on. Do not forget that the national stadium hosted the All African Games in 2003 and the National Sports Festival in 2004. So in terms of facilities, we are good to go. “Everybody connected to the festival have been very supportive and we appreciate them. We are all doing our bits. The festival is big and is not something that only one person will take up successfully. So everybody connected is up and doing and we are all putting in our effort, and so far, we are still on point and by the grace of God, come 6th December in this city, the opening ceremony will take place. “About logistics and others, we have sub-committees in place. We have the games village sub-committee and they are doing their best in that area going round to get places where the athletes will stay. We have transportation sub-committee too. Like I said, all hands are on deck and by December by God’s grace, we will put up a good show. “We have a security committee in charge of safety. I am not a security person, so I cannot speak on that aspect. But as I said, we have other sub-committees including security and everybody is work assiduously for the success of the festivals,” Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi concluded.