In a post, Odegbami described the event as a “spectacular display of great theatre, culture, and sportsmanship.”
Odegbami highlighted the star-studded lineup, including Governor Dapo Abiodun, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and global Afro-beat superstar Davido. He also praised Governor Abiodun’s inspiring speech, which resonated with the youths.
He wrote:
Gateway Games 2024 through my eyes-
My Daily Diary.
Day One – Opening Ceremony
On the eve of the opening ceremony, I slept late.
Observing ongoing work at the MKO Abiola Stadium all day till well past midnight takes it toll. The Governor stays till well past 2:00 am.
All that work and sacrifice turn out to be worth all the trouble.
Optically, the Opening Ceremony of the 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival, Gateway Games 2024, is beautiful, absolutely great theatre. Some hours before, below the surface of things, however, it is a bedlam – anxiety and worry at their peak, and a final resignation to the elements.
It eventually turns out to be Governor Dapo Abiodun’s day, one he will never forget in a hurry; how well things turn out on a day everything could have gone wrong.
The looks on his face through the ceremony say it all – a combination of fatigue, anxiety and satisfaction. As the ceremony draws to a climax and he swaggers to the podium on the field to deliver his sermon, his walk speaks down the red carpet speaks volumes – supreme confidence.
His voice rises and falls in poetic rhythm, his speech ringing lyrical, delivered in a deliberately measured tone to inspire and to motivate.
His message is new and different, of entrepreneurship and innovation that challenge the youths to seize the opportunity that sport presents to explore and to create a new Eco-system in Ogun State that will be a part of the global Sports Industry. The message resonates with the youths.
He quotes freely and lavishly from historic figures and events with the authority and conviction that I have not seen previously in his political odyssey.
He rounds off so well that he personally leads the public applause that followed with an involuntary clap by him, knowing that his message sinks into the heart of all that heard him.
Like a music conductor, he spreads out his hands in an angelic gesture, raising his voice as he does so to invoke the spirit of the gods, his firm voice holding everyone in a firm grip as he welcomes the athletes and officials to the promise of the best Games ever.
DàpoAbiodun is heard throughout the world on television and social media platforms.
I believe it may be his best ‘hour’ and performance yet on a podium in his 6 years of being in power, rising above cheap political talk and winning the hearts of his people….all in one night.
The most beautiful part of the show is the chaotic arrangement and organisation of a night buried by the kaleidoscope of colours, of 12,000 athletes and officials marching and dancing to the beats of African music (a first ever in history), plus thousands of spectators that fill every crevice of the terraces. The world is treated to a feast of choreographed calisthenics, pyrotechnics, traditional dances, drums, raw culture and history in a breathtaking 15 minutes of razzle and dazzle.
So beautiful does the night turn out that no one even notices that the Games Torch is lit without the usual ceremony as the night explodes in crackers and fireworks, the symphony of a truly successful evening.
The tracks, the field, the terraces, everywhere you turn, is the colour of beautiful chaos.
When Davido, the global Afro-beat Superstar makes his appearance, it is to put a stamp on a memorable evening that heralds the start of two weeks of undiluted sport, friendships and peace driven by the power of youth and sport.
I get back home well into the night, tired and hungry, but fulfilled, the picture of Governor Dapo Abiodun on the podium, of Governor Demola Adeleke dancing to the music of Davido in the State Box, of Professor Wole Soyinka and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo sharing banter, of Governor Soludo dancing also on the red carpet, of Kashim Shettima, the Vice-President, in a gentle trot on the carpet, of Governor Abiodun paying me a little tribute (I don’t know why but I am very grateful) in his great speech, all replaying in my mind.
So, that’s it – Day One is gone, beautifully!
Before I forget, one last thing.
At a point, shortly before the ceremony starts, the weather decides to be ‘funny’. Dark clouds appear, and a drizzle poses a threat to the events of the day, reminding all that nature cannot be tamed.
Chief Akin Odunsi, the advertising Guru, taps me on the shoulder. He is sitting directly behind me. He reminds me we did not hire him to hold back the rains.
Ha, it’s true o. In all our arrangements for the celebrations, we forget to consult the traditional rain makers (and stoppers).
Time to go to work.
I remember my school-boy incantations and start to chant in my head.
Abracadabra. Within 5 minutes, the dark clouds move away across the skies and away from Abeokuta.
Now you know. When next you want to organize an international event, you know who to consult. My charges are moderate
The ceremony featured 12,000 athletes and officials marching and dancing to African music, accompanied by choreographed calisthenics and pyrotechnics. Odegbami also shared a memorable moment when dark clouds dispersed after he recalled his schoolboy incantations.
Odegbami concluded that the opening ceremony was a resounding success, setting the tone for two weeks of thrilling sports action, friendships, and peace.
