BY PAUL EREWUBA
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has stated that contrary to news making the rounds that the 19th edition of the National Sports Festival would hold in Abuja, the National Council on Sports (NCP) will have to sit and deliberate on it next year, with the aim of fixing its date and hosting state.
Dalung, who spoke to Sports Journalists in Lagos, explained that when it became obvious that Cross River State government, which won the hosting right was not forthcoming with a date for the event, a plan B which is Abuja was sought.
“We convened the National Council for Sports meeting in Calabar and made several inspection tours of facilities to ensure that we hold the event this year.
“But it was not visible. They said the Sports Ministry should bear the cost. And we decided to turn to our plan B which is Abuja.
“As I speak with you Abuja too is not visible, because the year is almost ending.
“Consequent upon this, we have thrown it back to the National Council on Sports and the decision is that the council would meet in 2017, deliberate on the issue and come up with the date and hosting state,” the Minister stated.
It would be recalled that the festival, designed to hold biennially to discover talents for international and continental competitions, has suffered many postponements in the past.
It was last held in Lagos in 2012 and has witnessed several postponements by proposed host states.