Contact sports will return soon - Dare

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has assured that discussions are ongoing with the Federal Government and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 over the resumption of contact sports, including football, in the country, The Punch reports.

The Coronavirus outbreak halted sporting events in Nigeria since March, but last month, the Federal Government lifted restrictions on non-contact outdoor sports.

The FG on Thursday, September 10, 2020 stated that the ban on contact sports, including football, was not lifted despite, after the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, in its guidelines, stated it had removed restrictions on “sporting leagues.”

“Still on contact sports resumption, we have provided more information and justification as needed. The FG, the PTF and indeed the MYSD are on the same page.

“It’s better to err on the side of caution. Conversations are ongoing and soon we shall witness the return of contact sports,” Dare tweeted on Sunday.

As at September 12th, 160 new confirmed cases of Coronavirus, with two deaths, were recorded in Nigeria.

Till date, 56,177 cases have been confirmed with 44,088 discharged and 1,078 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, according to data compiled by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.