{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Mathematical 7","provider_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7","title":"The National Sports Festival \u2013 Nigeria\u2019s mini-Olympic Games! - Mathematical 7","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"KTkKUtA87l\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/the-national-sports-festival-nigerias-mini-olympic-games\/\">The National Sports Festival \u2013 Nigeria\u2019s mini-Olympic Games!<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/the-national-sports-festival-nigerias-mini-olympic-games\/embed\/#?secret=KTkKUtA87l\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;The National Sports Festival \u2013 Nigeria\u2019s mini-Olympic Games!&#8221; &#8212; Mathematical 7\" data-secret=\"KTkKUtA87l\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Abuja_2018.jpg","thumbnail_width":264,"thumbnail_height":162,"description":"A few days ago, the National Sports Festival began in Abuja. It happened without a whimper.On the opening day, the stadium was empty of spectators, the programs did not run smoothly, the lights in the stadium went out during the ceremony, and complaints dominated the entire opening ceremony. One day into the anticipated feast of sports the stories coming out of Abuja are a far cry from the expectations when the event was wrested from Cross Rivers State that prevaricated for six whole, wasted years without hosting it.What should ordinarily be Nigeria\u2019s biggest sports event has now become a shadow, very far from its originally envisioned objectives. I was an active pioneer participant and beneficiary of the first National Sports Festival. It is unbelievable that 45 years have come and gone since that eventful evening in 1973 when, before a capacity audience of some 60,000 sports fans I was one of those that birthed the games with an opening-day football match between Western State and Lagos State on the lush green turf of the main bowl of the National Stadium, still mint-fresh from the Second All-African Games that held within the stadium complex in Surulere, Lagos, a few months before. I transited from the games to the Green Eagles, the national football team of Nigeria, as a result of my performance on a single night during the games. That was the intent, the spirit and a major objective of the games \u2013 to discover and showcase the best talent."}