Gbenga Oluwatoyin
The National Sports Commission (NSC), has stated that about 12, 000 to 15,000 sportsmen and women were expected to participate in the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Ogun in January.
The new Director General of NSC, Mr Bukola Olopade , disclosed this during a courtesy call on Gov. Dapo Abiodun in Abeokuta.
Mr Lekan Adeniran, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor made this known in a statement in Abeokuta on Thursday.
According to the statement, the sports festival is tagged,” 2024 Gateway Games”.
Olopade, former Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the festival , spoke after a closed-door meeting with the governor and the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Trust Bank, Mr Emmanuel Emefienim.
He said that the LOC was working towards creating an Olympic-standard Games Village that would accommodate all the athletes in one location.
He hinted that the development had not happened before in the history of the festival.
“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 crossing over to Remo Stars Stadium, you will see some of the things we have done, like the new basketball courts for the games.
” When you walk into the MKO Abiola Stadium, you will know that in the next 20 to 30 years, children of Ogun state, will be happy to exhibit their God-given talents in the world-class facilities at the stadium,” he said.
Olopade revealed the inclusion of a digitised feeding and volunteer system, and 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 had been created.
He disclosed that about 200 journalists who would be accredited to cover the event would be housed and fed to ensure seamless dissemination of information.
