Delta Releases Intervening Measures to Protect Athletes at Edo 2020

Delta State yesterday released a set of intervening measures aimed at protecting it’s contingents from Coronavirus at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled to begin March 22 and ends April 1.

The measures are not exclusive to the Delta contingent, it will also protect athletes, officials, the media and other participants at the festival, Nigeria’s equivalent of the Olympic Games.

According to Solomon Ogba, consultant to Team Delta and Delta State Sports Commission, these interventions include but are not limited to Team Delta alone.

“The measures we put in place includes appropriate self-isolation period for all participants based outside Nigeria. This will be in specially designated hotels.

“We have made provision of 1000 wipes and hand sanitizers for all athletes and officials. We also have fully automated temperature change monitors that will be operated by health professionals.’’

Other measures put in place includes round-the-clock surveillance of contact of Delta State athletes with participants representing other states.

Ogba, who is also the Chairman of the Delta State Athletics Association, revealed that the tradition of Team Delta winning the NSF, which began when he was head of sports in Delta State from 1999 to 2007, will be maintained at the Edo 2020 NSF.

Delta’s dominance, Ogba posited, is a product of hard work and enduring structure, built in place over the course of decades,

“In Delta, we don’t do sports just because of the NSF, sports is a way of life for us, it is a daily thing. We have sports at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

“We have training and competitions for our athletes regularly. After this NSF, we have the Delta State Inter Local Government Championships.

“We also have a solid elite athlete development programme, so in Delta, sports is not a one-off thing, it is a way of life” said Ogba.