Athletes and officials at the ongoing 2024 National Sports Festival in Ogun State have voiced concerns over the logistical difficulties caused by the wide spread of competition venues across different towns.
The Gateway Games are currently taking place in multiple locations, including Abeokuta, Ikenne, Ijebu Ode, and Sagamu, creating transportation and coordination hurdles for many participating teams.
Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Bala Mogaji, highlighted the negative impact of these logistical issues on athlete performance.
“The long distance between venues is affecting the performance of athletes. It’s difficult to manage logistics and ensure full participation,” Mogaji said.
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Haruna Idris of Team Niger echoed similar sentiments, urging future festival organizers to prioritize effective planning.
“The biggest challenge we have experienced here is the issue of logistics. The scattered venues are really affecting athletes’ performance; it is not easy when you have to travel a long distance from Ikenne to Abeokuta and still give your best as an athlete.”Idris stated
Naimat Ahmed, a handball player representing Team Sokoto, acknowledged the strain but commended athletes for pushing through.
“It’s not been easy, but we are coping well. We just hope things like this will be carefully sorted in future, things must be done in the right way for athletes to have optimal performance.” she said.
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Despite the challenges, teams continue to compete with determination, hoping the issues will prompt improved planning for future editions of the festival.
