Sports

Philip Shuaibu Praises Olopade’s Impact On Sports Growth

Published

5 months ago

January 9, 2025

Joel Ajayi

Former Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shuaibu has expressed delight with the progress and innovations put in place by the Director General of National Sports commission NSC Hon. Bukola Olopade towards restoration of Nigeria sport within the short period of time.

Comrade Shuiabu gave this commendation on Thursday in Abuja when he visited the Director General in his office, where he described Olopade appointment as square peg in square hole.

According to him, I want to thank Mr president for the domestication of sports, the National Sport Commission is the way to go, because sports generally, has limited government influence when it comes to the status of sports in the world.

“So, making the NSC take over running a sport is one major achievement I always saying it, sports can’t be like run other government activities because of the nature of sports.

“And I am here to congratulate my brother Hon Olopade. We have all been in this game, we all have passion to turn Nigeria sport around, because for some of us, Nigeria sports, a sport is another goldmine for Nigeria, and I’m happy that sports is now business venture.

“Sports can be the best oil for Nigeria, and we can take a lot of young boys and girls out of labour markets. There’s a huge number that we can get there. So, I’m happy, and when I got the news of the appointment of the Chairman and my brother here DG, I know we’ve done many together, I know we’ve also boxed ourselves

“So, I am happy, and I decided today that let me physically pay a visit and say Congratulations him. “ he said.

Share on Facebook

Sports

A Triumphant Close to the 22nd National Sports Festival

Published

3 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.

Share on Facebook