LESS than three months to the kick off of the 18th National Sports Festival, Eko 2012, the Secretary General of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Kwesi Tandoh, says the state is making progress in its preparation for the sporting fiesta.With the works ongoing at the Teslim Balogun Stadium and such other venues as the Mobolaji Sports Centre, Rowe Park, being rehabilitated, Tandoh says the state is poised to host a befitting event come November.'We are making very good progress with preparations for the festival, especially in terms of infrastructure and logistics,' he said. 'In terms of infrastructure, almost all the venues to be used have been appraised and assessed and contracts have been awarded to put finishing touches to them.'We should also note that we don't need to do any new construction, we are just renovating the already existing facilities and the Ministry of Works, which is handling this aspect of our preparation, has assured that all infrastructure works would be completed in all the venues, including those to be used for accommodation. I believe we are moving quite fast with that aspect.'In terms of logistics, we are working together with the Main Organising Committee to meet up with the timeline for the festival. Right now, the entry by number for athletes has closed and most of the states have sent in their entries by sports, so we already have an idea of the number of athletes we are expecting and that would help us increase our pace of work.'And to add an intellectual glamour to the festival, Tandoh said: 'We are looking at things that would be unique to the festival. One of such things is that at the end of the festival, there has to be a legacy.'These are in terms of, 'what have people benefited from the festival' What new innovation have we laid down that others can emulate from' What can Lagosians say they have benefited from having the festival take place in Lagos''We are looking at an intellectual component and for the first time, we are going to have a pre-festival seminar that will discuss various topics such as Sports and Economic Development, Sports and Legacy and, Sports and Education, and the benefits of hosting sporting events.'We are looking at inviting speakers not only from Nigeria but outside the country as well. We are making contact with relevant bodies, such as the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.'That would be something new and in terms of the festival, there has to be an intellectual angle and that is something we are looking at.
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