NSC Boss Olopade Commends Ogun State’s Modern Facilities

The director-general of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade has given the government of Ogun State thumbs up for putting in place what he described as ’21st Century Facilities’ ahead of the upcoming National Sports Festival.

Sports247 gathered that, with what has been tagged Gateway Games 2025 set to take off next week Friday in the capital, Abeokuta, Olopade, who is an indigene of Ogun State and head of the main organising committee, assured that their readiness is not in doubt.

The former commissioner for sports in the state and a private marketer of some major international events added that facilities that are already in place for the festival, which will run from May 16th to 30th in The Rock City and other venues, are mostly brand new and world class.

Bukola further disclosed, “What we are putting out are world-class facilities for sports. For instance, the Remo Stars Stadium is arguably the best facility today in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, when you look round Ogun State, the MKO Abiola International Stadium has become a beehive of activities.

“It’s also ensuring that this is the first time in the history of Ogun State that we have our own swimming pool. This is what a sports spectacle of this nature brings to the table. We now have our own world-class swimming pool, and a new sports complex has been built from scratch.”

He enthused further that all the top notch facilities in The Gateway State will be enjoyed by a large array of young Nigerian athletes during the forthcoming festival, which should improve the chances of historic records being enacted and many lasting memories will also come forth.

Olopade added, “The stadium is now ready for thousands of young Nigerians to make use of for the festival. And, when you go into the main bowl of the stadium, that brings more joy to me. The aesthetics, the look and feel of MKO Stadium today is breathtaking. You need to come and experience what’s happening there.

“It’s also excellent when you go to where most of the indoor sports and ball games will take place … like basketball, handball, volleyball, squash, badminton and table tennis. That’s the Alake Sports Centre in Ijeja. It has been completely rebuilt by the Ogun State government.”

The NSC DG concluded by showering praises on the state’s governor, Dapo Abiodun, who he revealed has put in a lot of his personal effort and energy to ensure that Gateway Games 2025 not only becomes a reality but will also be the best ever for Nigeria.

“I want to thank Governor Dapo Abiodun for the yeoman effort that he has put into bringing the facilities up to 21st century standard for the games. So, I’m not disturbed about the readiness of Ogun State for the festival,” Olopade emphasised.

Sports247.ng