Placing life bans on some athletes at the just-concluded 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) was all in a bid to sanitise the festival, a National Sports Commission (NSC) official has said.

“It was all done to ensure that participating states and athletes play by the rules in future Games,’’ Tony Ohaeri, NSC’s Director of Press, told newsmen in Abuja.

The NSC had wielded the big stick on some athletes and states whose actions ran foul of the rules and regulations during the festival held from November 27 to Dec. 9 in Lagos.

Ohaeri said a lot of sharp practices were going to be curbed with the way the NSC had come down hard on erring athletes, states and officials at the 18th NSF.

“The Commission had to take that step not because it wants to jeopardise the athletes’ respective career but to sanitise our sports for the sake of the future,’’ he said.

The NSC Director of Press said the commission had since communicated the punitive decisions to the concerned states and all other necessary organs.

“These decisions, which were arrived at by the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the 18th NSF in Lagos, have been communicated to the Commissioners of Sports of the concerned states.

“Other relevant bodies that should know about these have also been informed for necessary action,’’ he said.

Athletes punished for various violations of the rules included Oladele Ojo, also known as Alaba Joseph, and Olubunmi Olamide, also known as Olubunmi Olayemi, both from Ekiti.

Other two teammates in the state hockey team, Olubunmi Emman and Ademisoye Olamide, were also banned from participating in the NSF for life.

They were also banned from participating in any event organised by the Hockey Federation of Nigeria (NHF) for two years for violating the eligibility rule of the sports festival.