Following the Federal Government ‘s ban uplift on non-contact outdoor sports, a handful of athletics coaches and sports enthusiasts have lauded the presidential task force, sport ministry efforts as they had previously clamored the reopening of sports centers.
It was revealed last week through the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, in Abuja that the Federal Government had decided to ease restriction on outdoor non-contact sports as the sports include -tennis, table tennis, squash, badminton, cycling, athletics, golf, polo, Para-athletics, and cricket.
Alli Abdulazeez, a Para-athletics coach admitted that he received the news with mixed feelings, claiming it was not explicit enough judging on the ongoing renovation of stadiums, which might not enable sporting activities.
Tunde Suleiman, another athletics coach said, “All that needs to be done after releasing non-contact sports is to open training venues (stadium for the use of track) and empower the coaches financially. Many coaches are not employed and they are using their little resources to keep athletes going. If sports centers are opened, we would have better places to train.”
A sports enthusiast, Donatus Agu-Ejidike, however, said that though the sport was a veritable tool to shape the lives of Nigerian youths, it would be imperative to take precautionary measures to curb COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that compliance with coaches and athletes with COVID-19 prevention guidelines might encourage the government to relax restrictions on other games.
All sporting activities were indefinitely halted earlier this year following the breakout of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
