Chaos erupted at the 22nd National Sports Festival on Wednesday as athletes representing host state Ogun staged a protest over the non-payment of their allowances, leaving fellow athletes and officials stranded at the Babcock University Games Village in Ilishan-Remo.
With just two days to the close of the Gateway Games 2025, disgruntled Ogun athletes barricaded the main gates of the Games Village as early as 5:30 am, grounding transportation services and stalling activities across several venues.
Videos and photos obtained by PUNCH Online showed athletes in Ogun State tracksuits blocking buses designated to shuttle participants to competition venues. The demonstration created a backlog of delayed events, sparking frustration among other contingents.
One Ogun athlete, speaking under anonymity, confirmed that the protest was premeditated following a tense late-night meeting. “We agreed to take action this morning if nothing was done. We’ve been representing the state, but our welfare has been ignored,” the athlete said.
