The 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Gateway Games 2024, earlier scheduled to be held in January 2025, will now be held from 16-30 May 2025, Afrosport reports.
The decision to reschedule the sporting fiesta was taken at a joint technical meeting of stakeholders in Abeokuta on Thursday.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, explained that the shift in date will allow the Games to reflect the new direction of sports in the country and also provide more time for implementation of recommendations made during the joint technical meeting.
Olopade explained that: “In the spirit of the new definition of sports organisation in Nigeria, creating an ecosystem of economic sustainability by Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there was a need to push it forward to capture all of those elements together.
“This would also get the Commission to settle down properly. We’re excited for the new date and the extra five months to put everything together and show the whole country what capacity is all about.”
Explaining the new initiative introduced into the Games, Olopade added: “When you think about the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative, where young promising athletes will compete as a 38th state, it is a promising move towards fostering the development of our best young talents, and it’s happening for the first time in the history of the Games.”
“It’s a strategy to empower young and promising talents and create a pathway for them to be exposed at the top level. These athletes will compete against established athletes, hoping to upset the status quo. It speaks to the core of what President Tinubu has asked of us to do.”.
The 22nd National Sports Festival will bring together athletes from all 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to compete in various sports disciplines. The event is expected to promote national unity, sports development, and youth empowerment.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State government, which is hosting the festival, has assured that all necessary arrangements are being put in place to ensure a successful and memorable event.
Commissioner for Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka, said the state government under Governor Dapo Abiodun has invested heavily in upgrading sports infrastructure and facilities, including the renovation of stadiums, sports complexes, and other facilities.
