By Joel Ajayi
President of the Rugby Federation of Nigeria, Dr. Ademola Are, has declared that rugby is more than ready to be featured in the National Sports Festival ,NSF, vowing that the sport will make its debut in the next edition of the festival.
Dr. Are made the statement on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while speaking to journalists about the ongoing 2024 National Sports Festival, also known as the Gateway Games.
He explained that although efforts were made to include rugby in this year’s edition, it was eventually dropped during a vote at the National Council on Sports meeting.
“We pushed for rugby’s inclusion, and it was initially approved. But during the Sports Council meeting, it was voted out. You know, in a democracy, the majority carries the day”, he said.
“But by the special grace of God, that will not happen again. Rugby will feature in the next National Sports Festival”.
Dr. Are, who also serves as Chairman of the Accommodation Committee for the Games, praised the level of organization and infrastructure provided, particularly the centralized housing of athletes and officials.
“This is the first time in a very long while that all the athletes are being accommodated in one location—Babcock University”, he said.
“We’re hosting about 11,000 athletes and officials there, along with journalists and other stakeholders. The overall preparedness for these Games has been impressive”.
Acknowledging that events of this scale inevitably come with challenges, he commended the swift response of the organizing team.
“Of course, there are daily challenges, but that’s why we’re here on the ground. The Director General of the Sports Commission has been actively visiting venues to ensure issues are resolved immediately”, he noted.
Dr. Are also highlighted the introduction of Invited Junior Athletes, a concept initiated by the Sports Commission, as one of the standout innovations of the 2024 festival.
“The invited junior athletes are doing well, and I believe they will win even more medals. Their participation aligns with one of the core objectives of the National Youth Games to build the next generation of champions”, he added.
Dr. Are concluded by reiterating his commitment to seeing rugby take its rightful place on the NSF stage, reflecting the sport’s growing popularity and readiness.
