By Patrick Omorodion

The National Council on Sports has amended the eligibility rules for the National Sports Festival, NSF to exclude foreign-based athletes as it approved November 27 – December 9, 2012 for the 18th edition of the fiesta to be hosted by Lagos State.

Technical session of the council which met in Lagos Thursday at the Golden Tulip Hotel expunged the clause which made the Sports Festival an open event, allowing athletes who reside outside the country to participate.

The amendment of the clause made available to the press read “The National Sports Festival is (now)open to only Nigerian-based Athletes”. The existing rule had been taken advantage of over the years to invite foreign-based athletes with forged documents at the expense of other states. Moreso, the Festival is primarily conceived to discover local talents.”

However Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick in kicking against the amendment, said it was unfair to deny Delta State the use of her athletes who are on scholarship abroad as he called on the Council of Sports to reconsider its stand on the issue.

Members however opposed the reconsideration of the amendment and insisted on allowing only Nigerian-based athletes from participating to align with the original idea of creating the festival.

They argued that any athlete that has been discovered and sent abroad for training and schooling should not be brought back to compete with new talents waiting to be discovered.

The meeting which was presided over by the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Chief Patrick Ekeji disclosed that the date of the festival was arrived at after discussing with the host state which was also asked to confirm five optional sports from a list of eight it proposed.

The sports are Cricket, Golf, Karate, Kick-Boxing, Kung-Fu, Rugby, Scrabble and Squash. Confirmation is expected to be done on or before the end of January, 2012, the meeting stressed.