Stakeholders demand intervention funds ahead of Gateway Games

NSC denies postponement of festival

As Directors of Sports nationwide look forward to the Joint Technical Meeting, which will also afford them opportunity to inspect facilities for the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged: ‘Gateway Games,’ some stakeholders have appealed to the Federal Government to release ‘its intervention funds’ for the host state before the commencement of the Games.

The Directors of Sports from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, are expected to converge on Ogun State December 18 and 19 for the Joint Technical Meeting, which will enable them to know the state of readiness of the various facilities being built or renovated by Ogun State for the sports festival.

The Federal Government had approved January 2025 for the 22nd National Sports Festival during the National Council on Sports meeting held in Enugu State earlier this year.

However, some stakeholders want the Federal Government to make available the intervention funds for the host, Ogun State before the commencement of the Games to avoid a repeat of the ‘unwarranted altercation’ between Edo State and the Federal Government during the 20th edition of the Games held in Benin City.

One of the Directors of Sports from the North Central, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday, stated that it is necessary for the Federal Government to meet its part of the bargain by making available the intervention funds for the host, Ogun State, before the commencement of the Games.

“We must guard against what transpired during Edo 2020 National Sports Festival,” the Director said. “I still remember quite vividly that at the commencement of Edo 2020 Games, some LOC officials stopped attending to the athletes at venue of the competition following