15,000 Athletes to Compete in 2024 Gateway Games, Says  Olopade

James Sowole  in Abeokuta

As the date for the commencement of the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged “2024 Gateway Games,” scheduled to take place in Ogun State in early January next year draws closer, between 12,000 and 15,000 sportsmen and women have been listed to participate in the national sports fiesta.

The former Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 2024 National Sports Festival who is the now the  Director General of the reintroduced National Sports Commission (NSC), Mr. Bukola Olopade, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Trust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta yesterday.

Olopade said the LOC was working towards creating an Olympic-standard Games Village, that would accommodate all the athletes in one location, a development which he said has not happened before in the history of the festival.

Olopade said: “The LOC has done a lot to ensure that we host the best festival in the country. My biggest joy as the chairman of the LOC is the governor’s commitment to creating legacy projects around the games.

“If you look at the MKO Abiola Stadium today, look at the Ijeja Sports Centre and some of the things done at Babcock University sports complex and crossing over to Remo Stars Stadium, you will see some of the things we have done, like the new basketball courts for the games.

“My biggest joy is that when you walk into the MKO Abiola Stadium (in Abeokuta), you will know that in the next 20 to 30 years, children of Ogun State, Nigeria, and the world will be happy to exhibit their God-given talents in the world-class facilities at the stadium.”

He revealed the inclusion of a digitized feeding and volunteer system, as well as a catering system where food would be scientifically tested to guarantee the health and safety of the athletes.

The DG stated that a transport cluster that would move sportsmen and women with ease to their various sporting venues at Babcock, Sagamu, Ikenne, and Abeokuta has been created, while about 200 journalists who would be accredited to cover the event would be housed and fed to ensure seamless dissemination of information.

Also speaking, Ogun State Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, said preparations are in top gear as the LOC was working round the clock to give Nigerians the best festival ever hosted by any state.

He noted that, unlike the 15th edition hosted by the state in 2006, where swimming took place in a hotel, the 22nd edition would take place in state owned facilities.

The Chief Executive Officer of Premium Trust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, on his part, emphasized that as the lead sponsor of the event, his organization was committed to collaborating with the state in sports development, thereby creating platforms for the youth to express themselves by showcasing their talents.