Veteran sports icon and former Super Eagles star, Chief Segun Odegbami, has praised the organization of the ongoing National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024, stating that it has successfully restored the original objectives established by its founding fathers.

Speaking during an interview with TVC, Odegbami, who serves as a Grand Sports Ambassador for the games, emphasized that the festival was initially created after the Nigerian civil war to foster bonding and unity among Nigerians—a purpose he believes the current edition has recaptured.

"The objective really is to compete; we are talking sports, so young people are back. In fact, the Federal Government, through the National Sports Commission, brought in a contingent of young, talented athletes, different from all the other athletes from the states, to come and compete with whatever the states brought together," Odegbami stated.

He particularly commended the Dapo Abiodun-led administration in Ogun State for their vision in organizing the 22nd edition of the festival, highlighting the quality of athlete accommodation, transport logistics, and sporting facilities as unique elements that enhance talent discovery.

The sports legend noted that housing over 12,000 athletes together in a village creates genuine integration opportunities. "You can imagine what is going on there: true integration. Young people from different parts mingling, eating, and all of that. By the time they leave that place, it is eternal friendship, the original objective for which the games were set up," he explained.

Odegbami also praised the Federal Government's initiative to integrate a special contingent of young athletes to compete independently from state teams, which he believes has refocused the festival on talent discovery rather than the previous practice where states would "hire athletes from different places," diluting the quality of competition.

Reflecting on his own career, Odegbami recalled that his journey to football stardom began at the 1973 National Sports Festival. "I was a young student; I was in school in Ibadan, and I was invited to play for the Western State team. I went in there, played my first international match, and realized that I was even good for the first time. I went to the festival, and after it, I was invited to the national team in December of 1973. That was the beginning," he reminisced.

The former international footballer also highlighted the comprehensive nature of organizing such a massive sporting event, noting that the actual competitions represent only about 10 percent of the entire project, with logistics, accommodation, security, and other arrangements making up the bulk of the work.

"For the first time, we are looking at developing an ecosystem out of these games," Odegbami concluded, expressing optimism about the cultural and economic benefits that could emerge from the festival's renewed focus on its original objectives.