By Amaechi Agbo

For the first time in its history, the National Sports Festival, NSF this year will hold in two phases, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The festival which will be held in Benin, Edo State will start from 3^rd to 18^th December, 2020.

However, unlike the previous ones that held simultaneously, the 20^th edition of the Edo 2020 will see events hold in phases one and two.

According to report made available at the end of the three-day meeting of the National Council on Sports, NCS in Asaba Delta state, the Games village will be opened on 3^rd through to 4^th December while the opening ceremony will hold on the 5^th.

The first phase of the competition will commence from 6^th and last till 10^th December.

The second phase is expected to start on 11^th   December with arrival of athletes and their officials and competition commences and last from 12^th to 16^th December, 2020.

The closing ceremony will be staged on 17^th while the Games Village will be closed on 18^th December.

The Minister of youth and sports development, Sunday dare who was part of the meeting in Asaba had previously hinted that due to the ravaging impact of COVID-19 in the country, the ministry would propose a staggered festival to the council.

Below is a breakdown of the festival events and phases:

Festival 3rd-18th Dec. 2020

Games village Open 3rd-4th

Opening Ceremony 5th

Competition phase(1)

6th-10th

Competitions phase(2)

Arrival on 11th

Competition phase 2

from 12th-16th

Closing Ceremony 17th Games village close 18^th

Nigeria currently has 63,731 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 59, 844 discharged while death rate stands at 1,154.

It could be recalled that the 2020 NSF was initially slated to hold from March 22 through April 1^st but following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, the festival was indefinitely postponed on 17 March with the approval of the President Muhammadu Buhari.

Delta State are the defending champions of the festival after the emerged winners at the 19^th edition held in Abuja in December 2018.