Barely six months after the National Sports Festival NSF, tagged Edo 2020 which was held in April 2021, the Imo State Governor to the amazement of many is yet to receive the Imo athletes who won medals at the event.
Imo finished 11th on the overall table at the festival but the athletes who have been getting promises that the state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma will host them to a grand reception seems to been waiting endlessly for that Governorship handshake.
Even when the Imo State Sports Commission Director of Sports, Mr Metu Emmanuel had assured the athletes preparations was in top gear for their reception, it is still a mystery why the Governor is yet to host them as promised considering that every other state who’s athletes did well at the event had since received and rewarded their athletes.
Although the authorities gave the insecurity issues that bedeviled the state in the recent past as part of the reason why hosting of the athletes is continued to be delayed, many sports enthusiasts have continued to wonder if the well publicized reception for the Imo athletes will still take place.
It is however worrisome considering that other states have already commenced preparations for the next edition of the National Sports Festival which will be hosted by Delta State, the champions at Edo.
More worry is the fact that the State Junior athletes are on the verge of embarking on another national outing at Ilorin, Kwara State, for this year’s National Youth Sports Games.
One wonders if the athletes will be well motivated considering that the zonal elimination ball games at Ebony State wasn’t a favourable one as only Hockey male and female, as well as the female football team qualifies and the those who went to Edo are yet to be received.
