No vaccination certificate, no participation, MOC tells athletes, officials

THE Main Organising Committee ( MOC) of the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival now scheduled to begin on April 2 has told states coming for the event to ensure that all their athletes and officials are vaccinated for COVID- 19 at least 12 days before their arrival for the games.

Warning that any athlete or official that failed to present his COVID- 19 vaccination certificate would not be allowed to participate in the games, the MOC, headed by Edo State Deputy Governor,

Phillip Shaibu, also said, “all athletes/ officials from the 35 states and the FCT, participating in the National Sports Festival must take COVID- 19 tests 72 hours before arrival for the tournament.”

The directive was part of the decisions reached at the meeting between the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and the Edo State Government.

The MOC revealed that the National Sports Festival Games Village would be opened on April 2 for athletes/ officials, adding that athletes and officials must present certificates and documentation of COVID- 19 tests and vaccination before they can be admitted into the facility.

According to the festival timeline released by the MOC, the torch of unity will arrive in Edo State on April 3, “and will go round the 18 councils in the state. It will arrive in the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium main bowl on April 6, where the governor would light it up. “In line with COVID- 19 safety protocos, the number of athletes and officials expected to participate in the games has been reduced from 14,000 to 8,000 participants.

“Officials of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID- 19 and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) will arrive in Benin City four days to the commencement of the festival, to monitor compliance with COVID- 19 guidelines.

“All the non- pharmaceutical measures to limit the spread of COVID- 19 will be provided for by the state government at the various venues and camps.”

The committee said attendance at the games would be strictly regulated, and advised members of the public to follow the activities across media platforms, “including social platforms, as it will be streamed live.”

The MOC disclosed that Edo State and the Sports Ministry agreed that the tagline for the games remain ‘ Edo 2020’, despite the postponement occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Another major decision reached at the meeting, according to the MOC, is that Nigeria’s contingent for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would be camped in Edo State “for preparation for the games, to take advantage of the world- class equipment and facilities in the state.”