Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved N16.5 million for 33 sports associations in the state to prepare for the 22nd National Sports Festival scheduled from May 16 to May 30.

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

The Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, stated this on Wednesday at the June 12 Cultural Center, Kuto, Abeokuta, during an engagement with athletes, coaches, chairmen of sports associations, and other stakeholders in the state.

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

He said that the state government would set up a mechanism to ascertain the level of impact of the subvention on the preparation of the state athletes.

“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 charged the state athletes to come up with their own war songs before every competition, just like the way it is done by rugby teams.

“When you see the rugby people; the Australians with their battle-ready songs, we will create our own, and it will be nice for some of our various teams to also have a small celebration mannerism within themselves so that you can create a lot of variety, and everybody will be looking up to it,” he said.

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.

The SSG also said that while constructive criticisms are welcomed, the state government frowns at sensationalism from a section of the public .

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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.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka, disclosed that the state version of the National Sports Festival will be held in the last week of April, noting that two other states would be invited to participate to give the sports meet the needed competitiveness it deserves.

Isiaka said that the state government, aside from compensating individual athletes for their performance, would also reward outstanding associations that excel at the festival.

He urged association chairmen, secretaries, and coaches to unite and share constructive ideas toward successful participation at the festival.