{"id":119146,"date":"2025-05-25T16:33:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T15:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=119146"},"modified":"2025-05-25T16:33:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T15:33:44","slug":"gateway-games-power-outage-disrupts-10000m-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/gateway-games-power-outage-disrupts-10000m-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Gateway Games: Power Outage Disrupts 10,000m Race\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1833084112565561550\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Oscar Okhifo<\/div>\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1833084112565561550-content\" class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Power outage on Saturday hit\u00a0 the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta and darkness descended\u00a0 mid-race, disrupting the men\u2019s 10,000 meters event at the ongoing Gateway Games 2024.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This leaves yet another shadow over a National Sports Festival (NSF) already dogged by logistical and organisational failures.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The incident occurred during the 19th lap of the grueling 25-lap race, forcing athletes to slow down and lose rhythm in a competition where every second counts.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>With no official communication on whether the race result would stand, confusion and outrage swept through the venue. It was a monumental shame and confusion.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>One of the most vocal critics of the chaos was Professor Ezra Guning,\u00a0 Director of Sports for Plateau State and a former national long-distance champion, who did not mince words in describing the situation.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThis is a national disgrace,\u201d Guning said, visibly umbraged. \u201cIn all my years in Nigerian sports, I have never witnessed anything like this.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0I cannot accept the results of that race, especially with my state participating. It\u2019s unacceptable. We will not accept it!\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The blackout is just the latest in a string of problems plaguing this year\u2019s NSF.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Despite a colorful opening ceremony filled with fireworks and entertainment, the core sporting events have been marred by poor planning, disorganisation, and infrastructural shortcomings.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Athletes and officials have repeatedly lamented the festival&#8217;s fragmented venue arrangements, which have made inter-event transportation a logistical nightmare.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0The lack of centralisation has led to delays, missed events, and widespread frustration and confusion.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The media centre, meant to serve journalists covering the games, has also come under fire for its poor equipment and inadequate working facilities. Another sign of what many see as a poorly executed sporting festival.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>While the National Sports Festival is mirror excellence,\u00a0 Unity and a platform for\u00a0 talent discovery and development across Nigeria\u2019s states, the 2024 edition has so far done more to highlight systemic flaws in planning and execution.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As athletes and officials continue to navigate the many challenges thrown their way, Saturday\u2019s blackout is another fiasco moment that may well be remembered with frowns.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The promises of delivering a trailblazing National Sports festival is being challenged from different angles. The moment when the lights quite literally went out while the athletes were in their boots do not mirror a well organised NSF. That is the truth! The organisers have made no statement as at press time.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-footer spacer collapsible\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Oscar Okhifo Power outage on Saturday hit\u00a0 the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta and darkness descended\u00a0 mid-race, disrupting the men\u2019s 10,000 meters event at the ongoing Gateway Games 2024.&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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