A surprising twist unfolded at the 2025 National Sports Festival in Ogun State as Munyal Kwairanga, a young gymnast from Gombe State who won a medal in the 2022 edition of the festival, was disqualified for being underage.
Kwairanga, who competed and triumphed in Asaba, Delta State during the 2022 NSF at just 12 years old, was ruled ineligible this year at the age of 14.
The disqualification has stirred reactions, with many questioning the inconsistency in age verification protocols across editions of the festival with younger athletes were seen to compete at the games.
Despite being unable to compete, the teenage athlete appeared to be in high spirits, reportedly enjoying the games from the stands.
Festival attendees familiar with the inner workings of the NSF suggested that such decisions, though unusual, are not unheard of in the ever-evolving landscape of Nigerian sports administration.
Meanwhile, athletes and officials continue to battle long travel minutes within Ogun State as cases of stranded athletes are becoming a recurring decimal as the events hit home stretch .
Many Athletes were seen late in the night waiting for official buses to take back to the games village at Babcock University Ilishan a journey of not less two hours from Abeokuta
