The 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games Ogun 2024, slated for January 12th, has been shifted and will now be held from May 16th to 30th, 2025.
This was part of Thursday’s communiqué issued at the end of the Joint Technical Meetings held in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Reading the communiqué, the Secretary of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Thecla Opara, said that the postponement has become necessary to effect some of the recommendations of the technical committee to have a world-class festival.
“The committee agreed that in order to give some time to effect the observations and recommendations from the Joint Technical Meeting, the dates for the 22nd National Sports Festival should be adjusted to May 16-30, 2025; and the Zonal Eliminations for Team Sports for the Games would hold from February 23-28, 2025”, the communiqué reads
The joint committee however enjoined the Main Organising Committee Secretariat to amend the Games timeline and circulate it to all concerned stakeholders accordingly.
Meanwhile, speaking with newsmen after the meeting, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade alluded to the need to factor in other elements in the preparation for the games.
“The communique is clear but what the communique did not capture was that the Ogun state government, and the Local Organising Committee were vehemently against any postponement. But in the wisdom of the Technical Committee, and the Main Organising Committee, they felt there were so many elements that needed to come together for us to give Nigerians the new definition of sports economy and ecosystem as defined by the President, there was a need to push it forward.
“We are excited that we have a new date. This gives us five months to properly put everything together and show the whole country what capacity is all about”, he said
The technical committee chairman, in his remarks, noted that the facilities on the ground needed upgrades to meet international standards as set by the committee.
“Technically, we looked at the facilities, and as professionals, we want something that would be peculiar, and nearer to the Olympics.
“So looking at all the facilities put on ground by the Ogun state government, we felt that it would be better for the facilities to be properly fine-tuned to meet the standard so that our athletes would enjoy and not manage”, he added.
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