Outdoor Sports Can Resume In Lagos – FG

Non-contact outdoor sports in Lagos and other parts of the country can resume, the Federal Government has announced.
It also approved the use of recreational parks for physical exercise, although under strict supervision.
Recall that The since March there has been a restriction on sporting activities, following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, Thursday, said that the federal government had decided to ease the restriction on outdoor non-contact sports, although recreational parks are not to be used for social interaction purposes.
He said, “For recreational parks/communal sports, restrictions are removed on outdoor communal non-contact sports and the use of recreational parks for supervised physical exercise, not for social interactions. For recreational parks that are unable to enforce this, we expected them to remain closed.
“For outdoor non-contact sports, these include tennis, table tennis, squash, badminton, cycling, athletics, golf, polo, para-athletics, cricket and other non-contact outdoor communal activities. In the event that people are not certain, please contact the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports for further guidance.”
Confirming the new development, the media aide to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, John-Joshua Akanji, said that the ban would be gradually eased.
He also said it doesn’t indicate that 2020 National Sports Festival would hold soon.
He said, “The NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) issued a statement to that effect but the lifted ban does not guarantee that National Sports Festival is confirmed to hold in October.
“So, any decision that will be taken will be in conjunction with the NCDC, the PTF and of course the final person who is the President of Nigeria.
“The minister had made it clear that we can begin gradually with the non-contact sports like polo, golf, squash, and track and field. We can also begin easing up of the facilities so that people can begin training. It is going to be a gradual process.”
Also, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, is delighted by the Federal Government’s decision to lift its ban on non-contact outdoor sports in the country.