The National Council on Sport will deliberate on the age limits for the next National Sports Festival in 2020.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Sports, Olusade Adesola, said this on Wednesday at a news conference in Abuja.
According to Adesola, the 19th edition of the NSF was the first open festival since its inception in 1973.
She said: “This was a welcome development to many people but others feel it was not the best.
“So, we are going to deliberate on this at the next National Council of Sports meeting to arrive at a consensus.”
Adasola said some of the gains of the 19th NSF was the setting of new national records and discovery of talents.
He said 59 new national records were set, 42 in weightlifting, 15 in swimming and two in para-powerlifting.
Adesola, who was Chairman of the NSF Main Organising Committee, said a 20-year national record was also broken, which he said was a good development for sports.
He said: “The setting of new national records and discovery of talents will not have been possible but for the NSF.
“For the states that placed between first to fifth, this was possible because of the level of support from the states to sports.”
Adesola called on states to appreciate athletes irrespective of the colour of medals.
He said: “The promise of N1 million to any athlete that wins gold by Delta State makes the athletes up in their best.
“That is why the 19th NSF recorded 163 new millionaires.
“I am appealing to states that did not make any promise to appreciate the athletes and officials.
“The appreciation should not only be for gold, it should cut across all colour of medals.”
Adesola said the facelift given to sports facilities would serve as the legacy of the festival.
He said the velodrome have not been used since 2014 was given a facelift, adding that three indoor sports held in the velodrome.
He said part of innovation for the festival was the increase in the number of sports from 25 to 40.
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