By Amaechi Agbo

The General Secretary, Nigeria TEQBALL Federation, NIGTEQ, Mr Ndudi Edede has commended President Mohammadu Buhari for lifting ban on non contact sports.

Mr Ndudi who made the commendation in a press statement Friday said the unbanning of non contact sports is a welcome development.

“The Nigeria TEQBALL Federation wishes to use this medium to thank President Buhari on lifting the ban on non contact sports.

Mr Ndudi however called on the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, PTF, to also look at lifting ban placed on sports generally.

“This is a welcome development because we all have been very anxious over the fate of sports in the country,” he said.

The Director, Dreamland-Embassy of Hungary Cup tournament noted that for the past four months, the sporting industry has been in comatose due to the ban since March following outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

He called on the President through the PTF to provide guidelines on total reopening of sports in the country adding that since other sectors of the national life are being reopened including schools, airports, with directive on COVID-19 measures; that sports should not be left behind.

He advocated for reopening of contact sports such as football, basketball, handball, volleyball, etc with conditions and guidelines so that clubs that are able to meet the measures should be allowed to play.

He commended President Buhari, PTF and all state governors as well as the FCT minister on how they have handled the pandemic so far.

“We call on the President to also look at reopening sports generally. The past four months has not been funny with sports in the country. In fact, sports generally have been in coma

“But with gradual easing of lockdown and reopening of other sectors in the country such as schools, airports, and the rest, sports should not be left behind.

“The PTF should set out guidelines and conditions on reopening of sports totally such that clubs that meet up with the conditions should be made to play.

“The past four months have been dull, uninteresting in the sporting sector. That is not to downplay the impact of the virus but with conditions spelt out for reopening of other sectors, same measures should be given to sports.

“We want to also commend the President, Mohammad Buhari, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, PTF and all the state governors in the country including the minister of the Federal Capital Territory on how they have handled the pandemic so far

“As at Wednesday, August 12, 2020, Nigeria has a total of 47,743 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 33,943 discharged patients and 956 deaths recorded. If you look at the number of recovered cases, compared to death with what is going on in other countries in the world especially in Europe, we commend the governments for doing a great job in curtailing this virus,” he concluded.