Activities are bound to heighten in preparations for this year’s National Sports Festival in Abuja, following a formal reception of the games’ torch and handing over by the vice-president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The festival has been shifted to Abuja, after several and repeated postponements by Cross River State government, which was meant to host the next edition after Lagos 2012.
However, with Cross River State failing to meet expectations ever since, the 19th National Sports Festival will now hold in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in December.
Consequently, Osinbajo received and handed over the Torch of Unity at a dinner and gala night in The Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of activities marking the nation’s 58th independence anniversary.
the vice-president received the torch from a representative of Lagos State and handed it over to the Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, who passed it on to the FCT’s representative.
The torch will now commence a tour of the country’s 36 states, sequel to a ceremonial hand over on the same night to a banner bearer, who will convey it round the country.
