NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL
Curtain closes on a truly remarkable 22nd National Sports Festival
After 11 days of a true showcase of sporting competition in multiple sports by some of the country’s top and even promising athletes, the curtain will finally be drawn on what many have described as one of the best ever organised National Sports festivals, when the closing ceremony is held on Thursday at the MKO Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
Whilst the quality of the Games’ opening ceremony is still getting tongues wagging, the entire sporting family and beyond are now anxiously looking forward to what the closing ceremony will look like.
The last 11 days have showcased Ogun state as a true Sporting hub with the potential to even do more, with the quality of the facilities built for the games and the enthusiasm of the people who made the various venues their second home in the last few days.
A big testament to this was the history-making crowd that attended the male football final between Ogun State and Kwara State, which the host won by 4-1.
The MKO stadium was filled to full capacity while the crowd outside watching from the big screen reminds one of how much Sports is truly the soul of our togetherness as a country.
From the Alake Sports centre in Ijeja and the Baptist Boys’ High School, to the Obafemi Awolowo square and the Remo stadium, both in Ikenne, to the NYSC orientation camp in Shagamu, and the Ilisan town hall in Ilisan, the festival never lacked spectators throughout the games.
The Games lived up to the pre-tournament hype as both the National Sports Commission, NSC, and the Ogun state Government pulled out every administrative capacity to ensure both athletes, officials, and the media had an unforgettable experience.
The Gateway Games 2024 had been full of exciting drama and intrigues amongst the states and athletes, which led to different new records being set and some old records being shattered.
The festival has also produced for the country some new exciting young talents especially with the shocking performance of the 38th state, the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA), where they ended up winning some surprised medals to justify the Commission’s establishment of the initiative.
As the Closing ceremony holds on Thursday, the leadership of the National Sports commission, NSC, expresses its profound gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government for making sure millions of Nigerian youths see a renewed brighter future in the country through the National Sports Festival.
The NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dilko said ” our overwhelming gratitude goes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his personal commitment to the development of Nigerian Sports by giving us every support financially and otherwise for the success of this festival”.
” And the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, also deserves huge praise for the feat we all recorded with these games. I can’t thank him enough, and posterity will surely remember him for good “.
The NSC Director General, who is also the Chairman of the Main Organising Committee of the games, Hon Bukola Olopade, also extended his gratitude to all the technocrats behind the scenes who are responsible for the successful organisation of the games.
All the members of the Main organising committee and various sub committees have shown incredible dedication. The local organising committees and all our technical officials in the various sports have also been outstanding. Your dedication has been incredible.
The media and our athletes have also contributed immensely. Every success that everyone is talking about concerning these Games belongs to you all.”
” Yes, it was not a perfect festival because we acknowledged we had also some challenges. Let me assure everyone that some of the challenges are already being worked upon. This is ahead of the next Games holding in Enugu State next year”, he concluded.
The Closing ceremony is expected to bring together top Government functionaries and captains of industries. There will also be a rich cultural display of the state.
Ogun State will officially pass the baton of hosting to Enugu State. This will be for the 23rd edition of the Games. The Games will occur in September 2026.
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The Leadership of the Africa Sports Management Association (ASMA) has joined others in mourning the 22 athletes of Kano State who died on their way back from the just concluded National Sports Festival.
In a statement signed by its president, Prof. Oluwaseun Omotayo, the association remarked that it received with shock the news of the fatal motor accident that claimed the lives of the 22 Kano State athletes.
“The purpose of this message is to express deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragic accident.
“Africa Sports Management Association (ASMA) leadership commiserate with the National Sports Commission, the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Kano State Governor and the Kano State Sports Commission, Ogun State Governor and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the entire Nigerian sports community “, the statement concluded.
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The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the just concluded 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, has expressed condolences to the Kano State Government. They expressed sympathy for the tragic incident involving members of the Kano State contingent. These members were returning home after participating in the National Sports Festival held in Ogun State.
A bus conveying the athletes was said to have been involved in a crash at the Dakatsalle Bridge in the Kura Local Government area of Kano State after passing Kaduna state, claiming the lives of 21 athletes.
The Executive Secretary of the LOC, Dr Kweku A. Tandoh, remarked: “We are saddened by this incident, particularly with the death of these young people, budding stars who had a lot to give the country with their talent, skills, and creativity in sports.
“Words cannot adequately express the sorrow the LOC feels at this loss.
“We offer our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the departed ones, and we pray that God will comfort the families.
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Ogun State Governor, and chief host of the just concluded Gateway Games, Prince Dapo Abiodun has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic ancident involving members of the Kano State contingent who were returning home after participating in the 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF) held in Ogun State.
A bus conveying the athletes crashed about 50 kilometres from Kano. It had passed through Kaduna State. The crash claimed the lives of 20 athletes.
Abiodun, in a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday, said the incident had left him completely traumatized.
The athletes were vibrant young people. They were looking forward to a warm reception from their fans and families. The athletes had proudly donned the colours of Kano State at the just-concluded Gateway Games 2024. They had a bright future ahead of them.
Abiodun expressed condolences to the government and people of Kano State over the incident. He prayed for the repose of the souls of the athletes.
He stated that they were heroes whose patriotism and commitment to the cause of Kano State will never be forgotten. Their dedication to Nigeria as a whole will also be forever remembered.
He said: “It is indeed saddening and distressing. Twenty gallant athletes who had represented Kano State at the just concluded Gateway 2024 games have lost their lives. The circumstances are most traumatising and painful.
“This is so painful. These were young people, budding stars who had a lot to give the country with their talents, skills, and creativity.
“In particular, it is tragic that their beloved family members, who were looking forward to receiving them after a memorable outing at the National Sports Festival, will never get to see their beautiful faces again.
“Our prayers and thoughts are with their families and friends at this terrible hour.
“Having represented Kano with pride and distinction and made friends with their compatriots from across the 36 states, the athletes were heading home with joy, only for their lives to be cut short just before setting foot on Kano soil.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident, and we pray that Almighty Allah grants them eternal rest.
“I commiserate with His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, and his cabinet, the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Bala Fagge, and the people of Kano State over this most tragic and unfortunate incident.
“May we never witness this kind of incident again.”
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