Idowu Odufote, a coach with the Lagos State Boxing Association, says Monday’s postponement of the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) has presented him and other coaches with a difficult situation.

Odufote  said on Tuesday in Lagos that the festival’s postponement, which was on Monday for the third time, has become very worrisome.

“It has been a very difficult situation because we have had to prepare our athletes on conditions which are not so favourable and not so enjoyable,” he said with disappointment.

Odufote however said they must continue to put in all efforts to see that they trained even harder.

”This is because we are determined to present the best female and male boxers the state has ever produced,” he said.

The decision to postpone the festival was reached at a meeting in Abuja on Monday.

Sunday Dare shifts Sports Festival in Edo to April

The festival was recently rescheduled for Feb. 14 to Feb. 28 in Benin, but the multi-sports event fondly referred to as Nigeria’s version of the Olympics will now take place in April 2021.

It was the third postponement for the competition initially billed for March 2020.

Youth and Sports Minister Sunday Dare had on Monday said the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic necessitated the latest postponement.

He gave assurances that the festival will stillhold since it is considered an important feature on the country’s sports calendar.

The last NSF was held in Abuja in 2018.