The former Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the postponed 2024 Sports Festival, Bukola Olopade, says between 12,000 to 15,000 sportsmen and women are expected to participate in the 22nd National Sports Festival billed for January next year in Ogun State.
Olopade, who was recently appointed as the Director General of the National Sports Commission, disclosed this on Thursday, after a closed-door meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun, and the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Trust Bank, Emmanuel Emefienim, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Olopade said the LOC was working towards creating an Olympic-standard Games Village that would accommodate all the athletes in one location, a development which he said has not happened before in the history of the festival.
“The LOC has done a lot to ensure that we host the best festival in the country. My biggest joy as the chairman of the LOC is the governor’s commitment to creating legacy projects around the games.
“If you look at the MKO Abiola Stadium today, look at the Ijeja Sports Centre and some of the things done at Babcock and crossing over to Remo Stars Stadium, you will see some of the things we have done, like the new basketball courts for the games.
“My biggest joy is that when you walk into the MKO Abiola Stadium, you will know that in the next 20 to 30 years, children of Ogun State, Nigeria, and the world will be happy to exhibit their God-given talents in the world-class facilities at the stadium.”