- Inspects Stadium Facilities
- Assures Successful Hosting
- 5776 Athletes Registered
By Sunday Egede
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, yesterday, said 5,776 athletes have been registered for the 8th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) being hosted by the state.
Governor Oborevwori disclosed this in an interview with journalists shortly after inspecting facilities at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, venue of the sports fiesta which is due to be declared open today.
He said sports contingents from 29 states of the federation have already arrived in Asaba as at yesterday morning, adding that he was in the stadium to ensure that everything was in order for a seamless National Youth Games in the state.
According to him, the state was ready for the hosting of hitch-free games, adding that from what he had seen at the stadium, all is set for a successful hosting of the National Youth Games.
“We are ready for the hosting of the National Youth Games. You know, tomorrow (today) is the opening ceremony of the games. “As at yesterday’s morning, athletes from 29 states have arrived in Asaba and 5,776 already registered. I am sure that this year will be better than last year, as far as the National Youth Games is concerned,” the governor said.
On the significance of the National Youth Games, Oborevwori disclosed that the sports fiesta was a formidable avenue for discovering young talents in different areas of sports.
“There is a good result from hosting this Youth Games because you can see in the last Olympics in Paris, Ofili did very well even though he did not win a medal. He is a product of the National Youth Games. “So, in this year’s games, we are hoping that more athletes who will do better than Ofili will be discovered. I assure our people that this year’s National Youth Games will be better than last year,” he added.
During the inspection, the governor visited the swimming pool, indoor sports hall, VIP lounge and the main bowl of the stadium, where he received cheers from athletes.
