26 Nigerian Athletes To Feature In Bahamas Commonwealth Youth Games

MOTUNRAYO OLUKEMI ILESANMI

 

Team Nigeria to the sixth edition of Commonwealth Youth Games in Bahamas will comprise of 26 athletes who will be taking part in seven sporting events.

This was disclosed by the Director, Grassroots Sports, Dr Ademola Aare, who said the athletes will be competing in events such as swimming, athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, boxing, tennis and judo.

According to Dr. Aare, some of the 26 athletes will be selected from those who participated at the recently held National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara.

He added that some will also come from various federations because they have age grade programmes.

A proposed camping between May and June is being considered by the Federal Ministry of Sports but this will be subjected to the availability of funds, Aare said.

Ahead of the competition, which will hold in the city of Nassau, Bahamas from 19-23 July, a delegation headed by the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung paid an inspection visit to Bahamas to see the preparedness of the host country for the championship.

The team, which also included the Dr. Aare and the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Tunde Popoola, inspected the training areas, tracks, athletes’ accommodation, indoor sports hall and swimming pools.

After the inspection, Dalung remarked that the host is near ready for the event, saying “the host city for the Commonwealth Youth Games is about 70 percent ready and they have assured us that all venues will be ready before the opening ceremony. We held valuable discussions with the country’s sports minister who led us on the inspection tour of hostels and other facilities. We are impressed with what we’ve seen so far. ”