The highly anticipated 22nd National Sports Festival, dubbed the ‘Gateway Games 2024’, begins today in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with excitement building across the nation.
Contingents are prepared, and the atmosphere is electric as technical experts look out for the next generation of athletes who will rise from this biannual national games to international stardom, following in the footsteps of legends such as Segun Odegbami, Ese Brume, Patience Okon-George, Daji Aliu, Mary
Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, and many others.
As the nation prepares for another chapter of sporting excellence, let us take a glimpse at exceptional athletes who once graced the National Sports Festival stage and went on to achieve global acclaim.
Segun Odegbami:
Segun Odegbami, fondly known as “Mathematical,” is a proud product of the very first edition of the National Sports Festival, held in 1973 in Lagos. Representing the now-defunct Western State in football, Odegbami also featured in the 1975 edition of the Festival. His outstanding performances earned him a call-up to the Nigerian national team, the Green Eagles. Odegbami went on to earn 46 caps and score 23 goals for Nigeria. He played a crucial role in guiding the team to its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980. Renowned for his skill, speed, and pinpoint crosses, Odegbami’s story is a testament to how the Festival can propel athletes onto the continental and global stage.
Ese Brume:
Ese Brume’s journey from local promise to international stardom began at the 2011 National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt, where she competed as a young and determined athlete and finished sixth. However, this experience ignited a fire within her. By the 2012 edition in Lagos, Brume returned stronger and more focused, finishing second behind Nigeria’s track queen, Blessing Okagbare. That moment marked the beginning of her meteoric rise.
Today, Ese Brume stands tall as one of Africa’s most decorated long jumpers. She has represented Nigeria at three Olympic Games—Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 (where she won bronze), and Paris 2024. She also secured bronze at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and made history in 2022 as the first African woman to register four legal jumps over 7.00 meters.
Patience Okon-George:
Patience Okon-George exemplifies talent nurtured through the National Sports Festival. From her early appearances at the Festival, she developed into one of Nigeria’s finest quarter-milers. A two-time African Championships bronze medallist in the 400m and a three-time national champion, Okon has been a consistent force on the track. Her contributions to Nigeria’s 4x400m relay teams have earned her multiple continental gold medals, solidifying her place as a mainstay in African athletics.
She has proudly represented Nigeria at three Olympic Games—Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024—showcasing her longevity and consistency at the highest level.
Mary Onyali
Mary Onyali, one of Nigeria’s most decorated sprinters, was first discovered at the National Sports Festival when she competed at the 1984 Kwara ‘85 Games and later at the 1997 Oluyole Games in Ibadan. Her dazzling performances secured her a place at the 1986 World Junior Championships in Athens, Greece—a springboard to a remarkable international career.
By 1988, Onyali was part of Nigeria’s contingent to the Seoul Olympic Games, marking the beginning of a storied Olympic journey. She went on to represent Nigeria at five Olympic Games—Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004—an extraordinary feat in Nigerian athletics. She won two Olympic bronze medals: one in the 4x100m relay in 1992 and another in the 200m at the 1996 Games, solidifying her status as a national icon.
Who Will Be the Next Superstars?
Nigeria now stands on the brink of another defining moment. As the 2024 Gateway Games commence, the search is on for the next generation of superstars—young athletes with raw talent, untamed ambition, and the hunger to succeed. Somewhere within the crowd, a teenager will step onto the track, field, mat, or court and dazzle the nation.
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