Sports

20th National Sports Festival: SWAN applauds Sports Minister

Published

4 years ago

April 21, 2021

Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has applauded the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare for his contributions to the development of the sector since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The body under the leadership of Comrade Ahmed Aigbona after its virtual meeting in a statement said the minister and the Edo State government deserved applauses after the just concluded National Sports Festival held in Edo state despite the challenges in the country.

In the communiqué signed by its deputy president, Malam Ado Salisu, Vice president North Central, Mr Emmanuel Ujah and Secretary General, Mike Oboh stated that the body was not part of a factional group which claimed that Mr. Dare was not media friendly as he has exhibited since his appointment to be on the same page with sports journalists across the country.

It also passed a vote of confidence on the Sports Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare for his efforts in managing the crisis that erupted during the game due to the demand of the host state to get some financial relief from the Federal Government.

SWAN stated that the claim by the group formed in Port Harcourt under one permanent secretary in the Rivers state cannot hold water as it was laced with blackmail, as SWAN affiliated to the Nigeria Union of Journalists will continue to strive with the sports minister in repositioning sports development in the country as he has displayed since assumption of office.

It stated that it was clear from their claim that the 20^th National Sports Festival held in Benn city the Edo Capital, was the worst ever hosted by any state as statement of falsehood despite the festival witnessed the attendance of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with the best of sports facilities in venues were the games were held despite the COVID 19 pandemic.

SWAN also noted that the minister’s relationship with the sporting press cannot be damaged by few individuals who are masquerading as sports journalists in the country to soil the working relationship between the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development and Edo State government

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Sports

A Triumphant Close to the 22nd National Sports Festival

Published

4 days ago

May 29, 2025

The Gleamer

…As organisers promise another spectacle at closing ceremony on Thursday

Joel Ajayi

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 is 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 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 spectatorship throughout the games.

The Games actually 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 have 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 a 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 scene that are responsible for the successful organisation of the games.

” From all the members of the Main organising committee to the various sub committees, to members of the local organising committees and all our technical officials in the various sports to the media and our athletes, 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 but let me assure everyone that some of the challenges are already being worked upon ahead of the next Games holding in Enugu state next year”, he concluded.

The Closing ceremony is expected to bring together top Government functionaries to captain of industries while there will also be the rich cultural display of the state as Ogun state will officially pass the barton of hosting to Enugu state for the 23rd edition of the Games come September 2026.

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