National Sports Festival: Enugu athletes, officials, take COVID-19 vaccine

Boniface Onovo, Director, Enugu State Ministry of Youths and Sports says 48 Enugu State athletes and officials for the forthcoming National Sports Festival have taken COVID-19 vaccine.

Onovo who made this known to newsmen in Enugu on Tuesday, added that the contingent was made up of 31 athletes and 17 officials.

He said that the members of the contingent received the jab on Saturday and those who could not take it, got vaccinated on Monday.

Onovo said all arrangements had been concluded and the contingent was waiting for the April 3 date of departure.

“All members of the contingents have taken the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine which is one of the prerequisites for participation in the festival.

“We cannot attend the festival with all sports because we are not going there solely for participation sake.

“Our plan is to win medals, we have to attend the festival with sports we have a comparative advantage.

“The sports we are confident of securing medals include boxing, para-powerlifting, para-athletics, karate, deaf athletics, field, and track, athletics,’’ he explained.

Onovo said that the sports were approved by the state for the festival.

He said that the athletes had been training with their coaches under the Enugu State Ministry of Youth and Sports’ supervision.

“We could not have a camp for athletes owing to the several postponements of the festival.

“Until action resumes in Benin, Edo State that is when we will know the festival is taking place,” Onovo added.