Ogheneruona Tejiri, Asaba
Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has assured of the State’s total commitment to the successful hosting of the National Youth Games.
Senator Okowa stated this during signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Delta State Government on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 in Asaba.
Governor Okowa said Delta State will host the National Youth Games for the next four years (2023 –2026) urging other States to wake up in sports and youth development.
He praised the Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare for striving hard for the development of sports in the country.
Accordng to Dr. Okowa, “Delta State has a strong relationship with the Sports Ministry. The Minister, Sunday Dare did not sit in Abuja but was always out there working for sports development.
We are happy to host the National Youth Games for next year. We will host a youth games the nation can be proud of.”
The Delta State Governor added, “I challenge other States to prepare their athletes and give Delta real competition. It’s through competition you break records. Delta State will strive to retain its number one position always and other states can scramble for who comes second.”
Earlier, Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare said that the National Youth Games is open only to athletes under 17 years, emphasising the importance of the Games in Nigeria’s sports development.
He applauded Delta State’s commitment to sports saying, “check the data for the last 40 years, Delta State has contributed a lot to sports development in Nigeria. As a Minister, Delta State has been instrumental to the success I enjoyed in the last Four years of my administration.”
Mr. Dare added, “signing the MoU you can be rest assured that we are going to experience a new dimension to the National Youth Games for the next four years.”
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