NSC Moves Against Poaching In NSF

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has explained  why it introduced the on-line accreditation of athletes, officials and other personnel for the 17th National Sports Festival (NSF), saying that online accreditation is to eradicate poaching of athletes and avoiding complaints of officials from various states over accreditation.

The Director General of the Commission Chief Patrick Ekeji made this known in his address at formal opening ceremony of the NSF holding in Rivers State, held at the Liberation Stadium, on Sunday, in Port Harcourt.

According to him, to make the NSF more unique and manageable, events to be competed in was limited to 20 while the host state was allowed whether to add further five sports, which Rivers State obliged.

“The commission deemed it necessary to introduce online accreditation in order to sanitise the system, especially, to stop poaching.

We are also in line with the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) to limit our sports to 20 to enable us manage them effectively,” Ekeji said.

He described the National Sports Festival as one of the factors of unity in Nigeria which promotes friendship and brotherliness.

“The festival is all about unity and friendship, we should all exhibit that spirit at this festival and always,” the D-G added.

Tonye Orabere