Team Anambra Begins Closed Camping For NSF 2020
Team Anambra on Sunday began closed camping in preparation ahead of the 20th National Sports Festival in Edo tagged “Edo 2020”
Tony Oli, Chairman of the Anambra Sports Development Commission (ASDC) who spoke in Awka on Sunday said the athletes would be camped three venues according to the sports facilities available.
Oli said the venues included Rojenny Stadium Oba, Otuocha Township Stadium, Aguleri and Bishop Obiefuna Retreat Centre, Awka.
He said camping for the team which would be accompanied by 50 officials would run till Dec. 3 when the contingent would depart for Edo.
The chairman said the target was to surpass his pervious feat Anambra which finished 16th on the overall medals table in Abuja with of five gold,11 silver and 13 bronze medals..
He aid his target was to ensure that the success was consolidated assuring that the athletes would be given all they would need to succeed.
“We are working to better our last performance which was five gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze,” he said
Oli 2020 sporting year in Anambra was affected negatively just like other states by the shutdown of activities as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
He said apart from the Nigeria Police Games which held in February, other state events like academical football competition Community shield, security games and school sports did not hold.
He however lauded the athletes for keeping fit in their individual ways while the ban on sports lasted.
Oli urged sports administrators and officials to be fair and ensure that the best athletes emerged in the competitions so that Nigerian athletes would have better chance on the global stage.
“Officiating should be fair, there should not be the desire to have some persons or states win instead of the best and that is why he have problem outside the country.
“There was a case where an Anambra athlete was made to come second after clearly beating his opponents but the same boy went ahead to give Nigeria a bronze medal at continental level,” he said
