Hon. Daniel Igali, Olympic and World Wrestling Champion, President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, and Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, has expressed optimism about the ongoing OGUN 2025 Gateway Games, calling it “one of the most competitive festivals” Nigeria has seen in recent times.
Speaking on the current state of the medal table, Igali urged caution, noting that only a few events have been concluded so far.
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“We shouldn’t be misled by the current medal standings. Only a handful of events like weightlifting and kungfuhave concluded their competitions. Most events are still ongoing,” he said.
Igali emphasized that with over 400 gold medals still up for grabs, the real picture will only begin to take shape in the final stretch of the festival.
“It gets very exciting when you reach Days 8, 9, and 10. That’s when most sports would have completed, and you can truly begin to gauge the final outcome,” he added.
He also spoke to the importance of competitive balance:
“We don’t want one state to dominate the medal haul. It’s better when there’s parity—it makes the competition more interesting and fair.”
On the state of the facilities and organization, Igali was full of praise for Ogun State.
“Overall, I consider the facilities decent. There’s still some work ongoing, which is expected for a multi-sport event of this scale. But I must commend Ogun State—the opening ceremony was massive and colorful, setting the tone for a well-organized competition.”
Following a recent meeting with officials from the National Sports Commission, the Main Organizing Committee (MOC), and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Igali said there were no major issues raised, aside from minor transportation concerns.
“That speaks volumes about the quality of planning and execution. So far, so good—they’ve done a commendable job.”
He concluded by congratulating Ogun State, the MOC, and all stakeholders involved for a successful start to the tournament.
