Resilience, Triumphs as Edo 2020 Kicks Off

Stanley Nkwazema

Last Tuesday, the 20th National Sports Festival was officially flagged-off in Benin City, one year after it was initially billed for the same venue but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which shut sporting and economic activities the world over. Stanley Nkwazema takes a look at the smooth take off of the games following efforts of Governor Godwin Obaseki to refurbish abandoned sports centers in the state

11,500 athletes and officials from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, heaved a sigh of relief that 27 months after they bade each other bye in Abuja, they have come to compete for honours in the biennial ritual that brings together different tribes, religion to what is indisputably the numeru uno sports competition in Nigeria.

The original mission was to discover young sports talents from different parts of the country to eventually represent the country at international competitions and to promote the spirit of healthy competition, unity and nationalism amongst Nigerian youths in the wake of the fratricidal civil war which ended in 1970 and almost tore the country apart.

When Edo State in 2018, at the Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja, was officially handed over the flags for hosting rights of the 2020 edition of National Sports Festival, ahead of other states, the athletes, coaches and functionaries with glee, looked forward to 2020, for the biennial sports festivities that has come to represent the convergence of athletes from all nook and crannies, selecting and nurturing them for national and international assignments.

At Abuja 2018, Governor Obaseki received the National Sports Festival flag signifying Edo State as the next host of the games billed for March, 2020. He meant every word when he said: “We will take every step necessary to make it the best games in the annals of the sports festival. We are Edo people; we have the men who can do the job and the facilities that will raise the profile of the festival. Edo 2020 Sports Festival will be grounded in strategy, organisation, technical apparatus, sports science, mechanics and boost the morale of sportsmen.”

Edo State successfully played host to the games in 1981 and 2002. Indeed, Edo State renowned for staging world class sporting events like the Ogbe Hard Court Tennis Championship that produced the likes of Nduka Odizor, Veronica Oyibokia et al, as well as Africa Female football tournament, Super Eagles World Cup and AFCON qualifiers, gladly accepted the March 21-April 1 dates for the 20th edition (before the final shift to April 2) despite the state of disrepair of facilities in Benin, Afuze and several centres often characterised by neglect and lack of focus by past administrations.

More so, while the state mobilised available human, material and financial resources to actualise the dream, Governor Obaseki was resolute, like a field marshal, he knew the odds at stake despite the fact that he equally had a political battle to face for his second term gubernatorial bid.
Whilst relevant organs and agencies started work in earnest, albeit the Edo 2020 kick-off date was really close, the LOC headed by the Deputy Governor Comrade Phillip Shuaibu still managed to get their facilities in top-notch shape.

Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) went ahead to organise a successful election where Obaseki was given a second mandate to steer the affairs of the deeply cultural state, every major sporting event, including the 2020 Summer Olympics scheduled for Tokyo, Japan, were put on hold. Football matches were also suspended and when they returned, never delivered the much-needed fun, with empty stands as the pandemic became the new normal.

Attempts to start the festival between December 3-18 and February 14-28 this year did not receive the much-needed nod from the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19, because they felt the safety of athletes and officials was more important. This was despite elaborate preparations to showcase its rich cultural potentials and state of the art facilities by the state government.

After suffering multiple setbacks, the Minister of Youth and Sports Sunday Dare aligned with Edo to go ahead. The review by the PTF on COVID-19 did not make it a matter of debate but a priority to keep the athletes engaged. Not only had Edo State indicated that it needed funding from the federal government to proceed, the three postponements were painful and funds spent in view of the fact that events that were scheduled to hold March last year and financial commitments made by the state government to her vendors may not be refunded as they have already met their contractual obligations. The famous Ogbe Stadium, the University of Benin Sports Complex, the Afuze Games Village and the Zonal Indoor Sports Complex had extensive renovation works carried out to meet Olympic standards.

For Edo State which has produced athletes of repute, it was not just bidding to host for the mere fun of it. They invested heavily to fix the venues like every other state or country hosting games of multiple sporting events and expect return on investment as reiterated by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Phillip Shuaibu: “The festival has been planned in such a way that monies spent on the construction and organization of the event would be regenerated through the same facilities. The multiplier effect of hosting an event of such magnitude shall impact tremendously on our economy. Our GDP will improve and it will reduce unemployment. It’s a whole economy on the rise.”

Many felt that it would have been disastrous if the upgraded facilities were not put to use for the purpose of the festival and thereafter. Indeed, the only way to keep athletes in shape is to expose them to trainings and competitions; test-run the facilities and expose them to latest techniques. Naturally, rustiness will set-in after training without proper competition.

Indeed, beyond the festival itself which has come to be seen as a veritable instrument of unity and a way of engaging the youth, there’s the Tokyo 2020 Olympics shifted for the summer. Edo 2021 will allow for fine-tuning the last phase of Nigeria’s preparations for the global event. The Federal Government realised the wisdom in Obaseki’s insistence that “if we have to make a decision on our optimal participation at the Tokyo games, there must be a balance quickly, confirmed the dates and chose Edo State as camping sites for the Olympic and Paralympic Games-bound athletes. At least the refurbished and renovated facilities will immediately be put to use days after the festival”.

At the final inspection of facilities by the Edo and federal governments, the Sports Minister confirmed venue for the festival and equally chose it as the final camping ground for the nation’s 42 athletes billed for Tokyo.
Besides hosting the event, Edo State which came 3rd on the overall medals table of the Abuja edition, with 47 gold medals, 41 silver medals and 53 bronze medals, would strive to better that record ahead of others, having put together a strong team of sports men and women.

Of course, Edo and the old Bendel State in the past produced several notable athletes like Nigeria’s first Olympic Gold Medalist Isaac Ikhuoria, coach Brown Ebewele, Charlton Ehizuelen, Yusuf Ali. Others include coaches Sebastine Imasuen-Brodericks, Izilien, and Amodu Shauib, Augustine Eguavoen, Thompson Oliha, Sunday Eboigbe, Edema Fuludu, Julius Aghahowa and several others for the country. They excelled at the All Africa Games, World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and several standard meets. Clearly, resilience has triumphed as the events are underway. Hearty congratulations to Edo State, to the athletes and the sporting community. Let the games begin!!!