By Femi Atolagbe

The General Manager of Ondo State Sports Council, Mr Henry Babatunde has disclosed that athletes will resume camping for Asaba 2022 National Sports Festival (NSF) on 21st and end on 29 of this month, the departure date for the games.

He said the camping will ensure proper concentrated effort in monitoring the athletes’ performances by their respective coaches.

Babatunde made the disclosure in a chat with Sporting Hope, saying the athletes will be brought together under one umbrella for proper monitoring and training, their styles, skills will be well assessed by their coaches. “So that when we get to the competition we will not have many challenges.”

He added that the  camping exercise will go a long way to put them in shape coupled with the training they have been doing in the last few months.

According to him, “I’m monitoring the athletes during their training, I pay unscheduled visit to them to see the training programs their coaches are giving them myself and what I’m seeing in their training is giving me hope they will do well at the festival.”

Ondo State finished the last National Sports Festival held in Edo State, 11th on the log with 10 Gold, 9 Silver and 25 bronze medals.

But the General Manager said he is optimistic the state will do better in Asaba 2022.

We are not praise singing the current Government, but when they do it right we must say it, on the regular payment of our athletes we thank them and asked for better package as Oliver twist.

The incessant gate locking of the sports council by athletes has died naturally, by the regular payment of their allowances, all these will manifest in their performances at the Festival.

The athletes are motivated by the regular payment of their allowances; they have time to train unlike Edo 2020 where Corona virus almost collapses everything. Which led to the games being postponed more than twice?