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ANGER AS POWER OUTAGE DISRUPTS
10,000KM FINAL AT NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL
…Sports Commission Chairman Dikko blames technical glitch
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has blamed a technical glitch for the power outage that occurred during the men’s 10,000m final at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival, held at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.
The stadium was thrown into darkness midway through the event, and the blackout lasted for about 20 minutes as the athletes completed the race in the dark.
The men’s 10,000m final was the last race on the second day of athletics at the 22nd edition of the games.
Francis James from Plateau State won the race in a time of 30:36.50, but the long-distance specialist said the unexpected power outage significantly disrupted his rhythm and denied him the chance to clock a much faster time.
Coincidentally, the lights were restored after the race was completed.
At a world press conference in Abeokuta, Dikko attributed the situation to the newly renovated state of the stadium.
“We had just left the stadium when that happened,” Dikko said.
“Basically, what happened was a technical glitch—something that can occur with new infrastructure like this, especially after several days of continuous use.
“It could have been worse if it had taken the whole day to fix. But it was resolved immediately, and that showed we were on top of the situation.
“Unfortunately, it happened during an event that couldn’t be stopped. They were doing the men’s 10,000m race, and it wasn’t feasible to halt it.
“In the long term, we will probably have some contingency plans, such as solar power, depending on the load and other conditions that must be factored in.”
The race for medals is also heating up, with a total of 2,150 medals on offer across 549 events.
The multi-sport event, regarded as Nigeria’s version of the Olympics, is set to be one of the most expansive in the festival’s history, with 626 gold, 626 silver, and 898 bronze medals up for grabs.
A major new feature of NSF 2024 is the introduction of the Invited Junior Athletes category.
This allows junior athletes to compete alongside more experienced participants, offering them a unique opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.
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