ABEOKUTA– When Ogun State won the bid to host the 2024 National Sports Festival, the glimpse and glamour that preceded the state hosting of same event on 2006 reminiscence.
Ogun state has been known for many firsts on several fonts, not only in sports. Therefore, many stakeholders were looking forward to another spectacle of a host, and why not, hosting to win!
However, the hitherto enthusiasm of a good host may be dwindling as the state failed to host the event in its original date, thereby calling for a reschedule. Then, it will be hosting a 2024 event in 2025.
This was largely due to late facilities upgrade and other factors not meant for the piece.
Less than one month into the January 12th, 2025 re-scheduled date; can we really say Ogun state is ready to host the 2024 National Sports Festival in 2025?. There are several questions begging for answers!
When this reporter visited the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Kuto Abeokuta, (the facility to host the opening ceremony) on Friday, the 6th of December, 2024 at about 10am, the readiness of the state to host the event became more questionable.
While the main pitch is still undergoing concrete flooring (as seen the picture attached), on one side of the pitch. The other side is still begging for attention.
The pitch which will still undergo some sort of priming to ascertained it’s level-ness before it receives its synthetic grass laying may not be ready for January 12 with the slow pace of work during this reporter’s visit.
The tartan track, was also still been asphalted as at the time of filing ghis report. The track which is also supposed to be measured into its 8lane tracks is a cause for worry for any meaningful sporting stakeholders.
The state box, which I hear was to be expanded is already into piece waiting for the expansion specialists before it will receive rewiring to accomodate more furnitures and esthetics.
The swimming pool is another project which its location has generated many reactions from stakeholder. While many believe that post National Festival, the location of the swimming pool will render it further use difficult, as it was wayed off the main MKO stadium facility.
Its readiness for the main reason it was been constructed is another worry for stakeholders who feared for a repeat of the collapsed swimming pool at the last NSF owing to it rushed job.
When contacted however, the commissioner for sports, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka insisted the state would be ready to host the rest of the country by January 12, 2025.
Hon. Isiaka added that work on the facilities are going on according to the timeline from contractors, saying that he doesn’t envisage any fear of postponement.
“When people are asking whether we will be ready or not, the festival is not all about the facilities you are seeing. There are so many things that goes with the festival. We are talking about 32 sports. The only area we may be having issues or doubt is probably the swimming pool and the track. But when you get to that place now, you will be convinced that we will be ready.
“So as far as we are concerned in terms of the welfare of the athletes, the logistics, transportation system, security, in all aspect, we are ready.
“There is no slow pace of work at the MKO Abiola stadium. We go there from time to time, and I can tell you that the job is going according to the time line they gave us. I was there yesterday around 7am, and when I went back there around 4pm, i was amazed by what I saw. It means that these people seems to be working round the clock.
“We have four numbers of lawn tennis courts, and it is seventy five percent completed. All they are waiting for is the solidifying of the concrete so that can start marking it.
“The swimming pool is received accelerated work, the main bowl score board is already there, the old flood lights has been removed to be replaced by another ones currently being expected in the country,
“The foreign partners are working on the track, and within one week according throue contractor, they should be through. The main pitch is also receiving speedy intervention to meet up with deadline.
“So there is nothing like slow pace of work there. So I doubt if there going to be any shift of date for the festival. As far as we are concerned in Ogun state, we are ready for the festival”, he said
