NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL KICKS OFF IN OGUN STATE
The 22nd National Sports Festival kicked off on Sunday with a colorful opening ceremony at the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The festival, which features over 700 athletes from Delta State, is expected to be a closely contested event with participants from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shetima, declared the festival open, emphasizing the unifying power of sports. “Indeed, nothing has brought the nation together like sports, whether on the pitch, in the court, or on the track. We are reminded daily that we are not strangers to one another, we are compatriots drawn from different roots but drinking from the same well of national pride,” Tinubu said. Delta State, known for its winning streak, was a highlight of the ceremony, with its team displaying the trophy won in the last edition and dancing to the admiration of the crowd. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, urged Team Delta to bring home the trophy again. “Team Delta has won the National Sports Festival eight times, so it is natural that the team wins again. I urge the athletes to put in their best to emerge victorious,” Oborevwori said. The festival is expected to feature 36 sporting events, with athletes from across the country competing for top honors. The opening ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, and governors from various states. The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, was also in attendance, along with former international Dr Segun Odegbami and other top political functionaries and sports enthusiasts. With Team Delta’s strong record and determination, the festival is set to be an exciting event.