Sports Festival: Ogun disburses N16.5m to 33 sports associations

In preparation for a successful hosting and solid preparation for the National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games 2024, the Ogun State government distributed cheques of N500,000 subvention to 33 sports associations in the state on Wednesday.

The 22nd National Sports Festival is scheduled for May 16 to 30 in the state.

The state athletes for the festival are also expected to commence closed-door camping with immediate effect.

Speaking during the presentation of the cheques at the June 12 Cultural Centre, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, stated that the monetary support underscored the government’s strong commitment to the successful outing of its contingent during the sports festival.

“I am delighted to announce that the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has graciously approved the payment of N500,000 as support to each of the 33 sports associations participating in the festival,” Talabi said.

“The Governor has sanctioned the implementation of a new structure and process to drive the development of sports”.

The SSG noted that the subvention isn’t a largesse to be shared by anyone but an avenue to ensure the smooth preparation of the state athletes for the festival.

“It behoves you all to give an account of all these little gestures. I think it is going to be once or twice in the first instance, and then we will see the feedback; and if the feedback is good, it is not an opportunity for largesse, and that is why the Governor is also putting the responsibility on the Commissioner for Sports Development.

“The government, especially the office of the Secretary to the State Government and the office of the Governor, through the office of the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, is going to set up a mechanism to see the feedback that we are getting from all these gestures we are making so that we can fine-tune it and make sure that it is sustainable,” he added.

He noted that the National Sports Festival has given Ogun a platform to set a good structure for sports development in the state, adding that the state, with its new sporting facilities, has taken its place of pride among the comity of states.

He said, “Don’t be mischievous; you know sometimes, some people will just, for no reason, go on social media. It is not the way to get development; it is sensationalism. In the past, some of those people who have done that have confirmed that they wanted their social handles to get the needed traffic.

“But, when you have constructive criticisms, we are ready and willing to take them.”