TAIWO ADELU
The National Youth Games gets underway this weekend at the sports complex of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
Athletes started arriving on Monday to conclude registration for the one-week event.
The Director Grassroots Sports and assistant Director of the Local Organizing Committee, Dr Ademola Areh, said that 33 states were registered during the Delegation Registration Meeting, DRM, while Katsina and Edo states were yet to register for the games.
Meanwhile, Supersport has donated 200 soccer balls to support the National Youth Games. General Manager Strategy, West Africa, Mr Felix Awogu said it was the organization’s own contribution towards sports development in the country.
“We at Supersport are committed to sports development in Nigeria and we are filing behind the Honourable Minister’s intention to change our sports dynamics and start identifying hidden talents early,” Awogu said.
Youth and Sports Minister Barrister Solomon Dalung has urged Corporate Nigeria to join in the drive to revive grassroots sports in the country.
“We have met some of our prominent stakeholders like SuperSport, Mr. Yemi Idowu and some state governors and they have promised to lend their support to the games. We are looking forward to their pledges and we’re also appealing to other well meaning Nigerians to help invest in the youths of this country. The National Youth Games is one of our most vibrant avenues of engaging our youths positively in the development of the nation,” he said.
At least 1,600 athletes will take part in the one week youth games intended to discover new talents.
There will be competitions in 13 sports including athletics, badminton, tennis, table tennis, scrabble , cricket, para table tennis, para athletics, karate, wrestling, judo, taekwondo and chess.
There will also be demonstration sports in Rowing and Yatching as well as roller skating.
The opening ceremony takes place on 24 September at the University of Ilorin Sports Complex.
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