NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL
It will be the best of the best as Ogun State fine-tunes operations for the 22nd National Sports Festival
As the clock ticks down to the Opening Ceremony of the 22nd National Sports Festival later this month, host Sports Commissioner, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, has assured that the Games will be declared as “best of the best” at the conclusion.
He made the remarks as he took some media men round the upgraded facilities at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, hub of the upcoming festival and the Alake Sports Centre, where some indoor games as well as handball will be held.
Remarkably, the facilities have undergone a tremendous upgrade as the facade of the stadium wears a new look, while the new athletics tracks have also been laid.
The football pitch is now lush green following the laying of hybrid astroturf.
The sports commissioner, Isiaka, who credits the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for the transformation, pointed out that the enclosed VVIP pavilion at the stadium has been expanded to accommodate nearly 150 guests, up from the previous capacity of fewer than 50 guests.
He affirmed that nearly all facilities are completed, with the few remaining undergoing final touches and scheduled to be ready before the festival gets underway.
“We are fully prepared. The facilities speak for themselves,” Hon. Isiaka said during the tour. “We are working around the clock to ensure every necessary structure is in place.
“By the time the games begin, Ogun State will be more than ready.”
More astonishing is the transformation and nearly remodelling of the Alake Sports Centre. A visitor who last got to the centre six months ago will be pleasantly surprised at the new look facility.
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A seven-member management team has been inaugurated to manage the Rivers State contingent’s participation at the 2026 Niger Delta Games, scheduled to hold in Edo State.
Former Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Chris Green, who has served four terms in that role, was named chairman of the committee charged with overseeing the preparations and welfare of Team Rivers for the regional multi-sport event, tagged Edo 2026.
Other members of the team are Professor Ken Anugweje, Comrade Emma Ndah, Obia Inyengiyikabo and Awele Salubi, while Emmanuel Jaja will serve as the committee’s secretary. Veteran sports journalist Sammy Wejinya was also appointed Media Head and Director of Communications of the team.
Speaking shortly after the inauguration, Green urged members of the committee to deploy their vast experience and expertise to ensure that the Rivers State contingent performs creditably at the games.
“Only the best in their respective fields have been selected to serve in the team, and I want to use this opportunity to charge all the appointed members to bring their wealth of experience to bear as we open yet another vista in the chapter of sports in Rivers State,” Green said.
The 2026 Niger Delta Games, sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission, will be held in Benin City, Edo State, from February 20 to 27, 2026.
The games are expected to feature competitions in 17 sports, with events taking place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and other designated venues across the host city.
The Niger Delta Games bring together athletes from states in the oil-producing region and are aimed at promoting sports development, unity and youth engagement across the Niger Delta.
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The Leadership of the Africa Sports Management Association (ASMA) has joined others in mourning the 22 athletes of Kano State who died on their way back from the just concluded National Sports Festival.
In a statement signed by its president, Prof. Oluwaseun Omotayo, the association remarked that it received with shock the news of the fatal motor accident that claimed the lives of the 22 Kano State athletes.
“The purpose of this message is to express deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragic accident.
“Africa Sports Management Association (ASMA) leadership commiserate with the National Sports Commission, the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Kano State Governor and the Kano State Sports Commission, Ogun State Governor and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the entire Nigerian sports community “, the statement concluded.
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The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the just concluded 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, has expressed condolences to the Kano State Government. They expressed sympathy for the tragic incident involving members of the Kano State contingent. These members were returning home after participating in the National Sports Festival held in Ogun State.
A bus conveying the athletes was said to have been involved in a crash at the Dakatsalle Bridge in the Kura Local Government area of Kano State after passing Kaduna state, claiming the lives of 21 athletes.
The Executive Secretary of the LOC, Dr Kweku A. Tandoh, remarked: “We are saddened by this incident, particularly with the death of these young people, budding stars who had a lot to give the country with their talent, skills, and creativity in sports.
“Words cannot adequately express the sorrow the LOC feels at this loss.
“We offer our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the departed ones, and we pray that God will comfort the families.
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