After months of preparation, Delta State government says it is fully set to host the 8th National Youth Games with the opening ceremony fixed for Wednesday, September 9, 2024.
The Stephen Keshi Stadium, which is the main venue for the Games is now wearing a new look, even as the organisers put in new facilities to add colour to the Games.
Delta State hosted the 7th edition of the Youth Games, last year, with virtually all the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in attendance.
Now, the Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori-led government is looking forward to hosting a bigger and better National Youth Games from September 9-19, 2024.
Chairman of the local organising committee (LOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, said all logistics needed to host a successful event had been put in place.
Ogba, a former Commissioner for sports in Delta State and two-time president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) specifically said that this year’s edition of the National Youth Games would be a talking point in the history of Nigeria sports.
Meanwhile, smarting from their outstanding performance at the North-East Zonal elimination for the 8th National Youth Games, Asaba 2024, the Bauchi State director of sports, Usman Yusuf, has said the state contingent is well set to project the “Bauchi Agenda” of the state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, at the competition.
Team Bauchi which competed in 13 events at the zonal elimination held in Jalingo, Taraba State, finished with 5 gold and 8 silver medals, qualifying them to compete in as many as 10 ball sports when the Youth Games opens in Asaba, Delta State.
“Our athletes outstanding performance out shone our opponents, which qualified us to represent the zone in cricket male team, rugby male and female, volleyball female team, handball female team, basketball male and female teams, hockey female team and beach volleyball male and female teams at the National Youth Games,” Yusuf enthused.