Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has attributed the unexpected power outage during the men’s 10,000m final at the 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF) to a technical fault linked to the newly renovated facilities at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The incident occurred midway through the final race on Saturday, plunging the stadium into darkness for approximately 20 minutes. Despite the blackout, the athletes continued and completed the race under sub-optimal conditions.
Plateau State’s Francis James emerged victorious, clocking a time of 30:36.50, but he lamented the disruption, saying it affected his rhythm and likely cost him a faster finish.
Speaking at a World Press Conference on Sunday, Dikko said the blackout was due to a minor technical issue and not a broader infrastructure failure.
“Basically, what happened was a technical glitch that can occur with new infrastructure, especially one that’s been in continuous use for days,” Dikko said. “Thankfully, it was resolved quickly, and it didn’t take the entire day. It’s unfortunate that it happened during a race we couldn’t stop.”
He further noted that contingency plans, such as solar backup systems, could be considered in future to avoid similar disruptions.
Despite the glitch, the 22nd edition of the festival continues to gather momentum. With 2,150 medals up for grabs across 549 events, the competition is one of the largest in the festival’s history, including 626 gold, 626 silver, and 898 bronze medals.
A key innovation at this year’s edition is the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative, which allows promising young athletes to compete alongside elite performers, providing them with valuable national exposure and experience.
