Let the Gateway Games 2024 begin! – Odegbami

Finally, the Nigerian ‘Olympic Games’ begin today.

Around 12,000 athletes and team officials of the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, have arrived since Thursday. On the same day, the torch of the game reached the state of Ogun and was received by the state executive director, Governor Dapo Abiodun, in the beautiful exchange of Sagamu for his final trip to the Mko Abiola sports complex.

Interestingly, the old “warriors” of the games come for games around the world.

Dr. Bruce Ojire, one of the largest runners of 400 meters in Nigeria in the early 1970 United, to those who monopolize the memorizables, to the city, which is being anticipated to the city of the United States. Festival Ogun-Standard.

Also read: Developing a sports ecosystem from Gateway games! – Odegbami

Professor Olatunde Makanju, a national friend and former national athlete, participant in the 1973 festival, and one of Nigeria’s most important sports psychologists, is shortening a vacation in the United Kingdom to join the festival party that begins this weekend.

Throughout the state of Ogun, there is a frenzy of cleaning the last minutes of construction sites, the cleaning of the environment and the beautification of parts of the State that will be centers of sporting events. The hunting of medals and trophies of the states began yesterday, two days before the official opening ceremony that will take place on Sunday, May 18 at the Mko Abiola Sports Complex now brilliant in the brightness of fresh paint and new colors.

I am not so sure, but Fatimo Mohammed, an indigene of the state of Ogun, former national medium distance corridor and participant in the sports festival in the 1990 Pees Metors, Los Torquios, the Games, the Games, the Games, the Torquios, Los Torquios, Los Torquios, Los Torquios, Los Torquios, Los Torquias, will be presented to the Games, to which the games, the tortators, the torchies, the torchies, the torchies, the tortators, the torchies, the tortators, the tortators will be presented to the games. From Abeokuta, before the games, the torch will ignite the opening ceremony of the games.

Many friends call to book hotel rooms and ask about social commitments in games.

The state of Ogun plans to take the games beyond the places to the streets in advance of a festival of the people and not only of the athletes.

Also read: My experience at the National Sports Festival … and Gateway 2025 games! – Odegbami

Will the games be perfect? By no means. No festival has run without problems and failures since it started 52 years ago. None.

Each festival has gone and come with their own unique memories for those who choose to be part of whatever they offered.

Gateway 2024 games will not be different in that regard. It will also come and come, and those who choose to experiment and participate in their offerings will have their own stories to tell, for good or for ugly, when done and dusted. That is the nature of the National Sports Festival, usually a Jamboree for officials. For athletes, it is a technical event that provides the opportunity to launch its races at the elite level, add to your medal chest and win survival winning bonds.

I have been observing closely the developments in the state of Ogun since my appointment last week as Grand Sports ambassador of the state of Ogun, and I can confirm with confidence that Ogun State is ready for the games.

The biggest challenge is the complexity of operations. Games are a machine with many moving parts, with any defect in any of the pieces that hinder the soft operations at all.

The Local Organizing Committee is venturing into a new territory in the organization with the games village located within the University of Babcock, about 50 kilometers from the sports activities center. It is a great challenge to transfer athletes to places for time for their events, without problems. How this will work is to involve all critical eyes.

Otherwise, everything is ready for Gateway 2025 games to officially start tomorrow!

Emmanuel Okala turns 74

The highest goalkeeper in the history of football in Africa, Emmanuel Okala, is my friend. He is one of the most famous goalkeepers in the history of African football.

He is a person who shows demonstrably the fullness of life, the opportunities he offers and the grace of God who keeps him alive and kicking day by day.

Every year, like May 17, the anniversary of his birth day, is approaching, always calls me to remember me with a joy in his voice, always.

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He likes when we discussed our lives in football and then, particularly the moments of adventures, of love and friendship between us. Sharing those moments lift our spirit as athletes.

We greet each other and share our current gains and pains.

Last month, more or less, time, the death of three of our colleagues in the 1980 team (including his closest mutual partner, the ‘president’ Christian Chukwu) weighs us, it remains largely in our minds and makes us look at the reality of the brief of life and our mortality.

‘Babuje’, he loves the taxes that pays him every year, praising him and remembering his honest place in the history of Nigeria football as one of the best goalkeepers in history, the only goalkeeper in the history of Africa’s football was appointed ‘the best Africa player’ by the union of African sports journalists when the organization had the responsibility, very briefly briefly, by name of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version of the version

‘Highest’, Emmanuel Okala, Monday, turns 74 today. Even while remains mainly at home these days, decelerated by weakening arthritis and other ailments related to aging, on behalf of all the players of all generations, I congratulate him and I wish him the best.

Happy birthday ‘Babuje’.