NSF 2018: All Hands On Deck...... MOC Secretary

...expresses confident of successful hosting .....says 11,638 participants have registered ....2019 hosts will be announced on the closing ceremony By Niyi Busari Director of Planning and Secretary Main Organising Committee (MOC) for the 2018 National Sports Festival, Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi has stated unequivocally the readiness of Abuja city in hosting the 10-day tournament, BSN Sports reports. Hauwa argued that different Committees set up to oversee different departments of the programmes drawn up for successful hosting of the National Sports Festival have been doing great work adding that in the next two weeks the final touches towards preparation for the tourney will be concluded. "Abuja is ready and we will have a successful hosting, from the timeline that was drawn up for the festival, which began with inauguration on 29th March 2018, since then a lot has been done. Right now, we are on the Delegate Registration Meeting (DRM), the pre-DRM starts on November 1st and ends 20th, where all states are expected to come and authenticate the registration of athletes and officials that will take part in the tournament. In the Delegate Registration Meeting, where we have 11,638 registered participants." When asked about the continuity of the festival having been sidines for sic years befire this year's host by Abuja, she said: "We have already sent out letters for expressions of interest to different states and hopefully we will get three or four who are ready to host for the next three to four years, after making their interest known we will now set up Committee to go and check their facilities. The host will be chosen based on the readiness of state and hopefully before the closing ceremony the next host state will be announced." "The facilities at the stadia where the event will hold be ready in the in the next two weeks," she added. She expressed confident that Abuja will a smooth running and successful hosting. "Abuja has hosted the All African games in 2003 and the festival in 2004, so Nigerians should expect a successful hosting." She added that different sports will take place at different stadiums and places in the capital city. "Some sports will be held at Army barracks, Area 10 Package A and B National Stadium Abuja." She concluded