National Youth Games Focus On Future Development, Not Winning – Dikko

In anticipation of the 9th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG), set to commence on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in Asaba, Delta State, the chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Malam Shehu Dikko, has urged participating states to move away from a ‘win-at-all costs’ mentality. He emphasised that the essence of the Games lies in fostering future development rather than merely securing victories.

Dikko made the statement while addressing Nigerian youths during a special event titled “An Evening with Dikko,” hosted by the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday night in Abuja.

He described the NYG as a crucial opportunity for laying a strong foundation for the future and encouraged all stakeholders to engage with the NSC’s long-term plans and vision.

“The National Youth Games are not about winning; they are about establishing a foundation and aligning with our long-term plans and vision. We need to reset our approach by focusing on the grassroots and school sports. Our priority is not on who wins or loses, but on identifying and nurturing the talents we can develop and promote,” Dikko stated.

According to the NSC, successful performances at the Olympics do not happen by chance; they require intentional efforts to develop sports at the grassroots level to ensure sustained success at higher levels.

“You cannot simply wait until two weeks before the Olympics and expect to win; that is unrealistic. It is essential to recognise athletes as young as 13 or 14 years old, compare their current performances with world and African records, and project their future potential with adequate support and planning. This is why we established the Elite Athletes Development and Podium Committee. This committee will be present at the Youth Games to identify talented athletes whom we can mentor and incorporate into our programme, leading them to podium finishes in the coming years.”

Dikko continued to encourage all states to participate in as many sports as possible, emphasising that success is about future potential, not immediate wins.

“We are even considering creating grant-like benefits based on the number of talented athletes your state produces. The more talents we identify, the greater the support for developing facilities in your state to nurture these athletes. This approach will help alleviate the pressure to win at all costs, allowing states to focus on identifying the right talents who can become national assets.”

He expressed hope that this edition of the Youth Games would yield more talents who could compete internationally, anticipating that by the 2028 Olympics, some of them could be nearing or achieving podium finishes. “We are committed to ensuring deliberate efforts towards this goal. At the last National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, we introduced ‘Invited Junior Athletes’ (IJA), comprising junior athletes identified during previous Youth Games. These athletes trained to compete alongside elite athletes and represented the 38th state of the federation. Their performance at the African School Games, where some had just completed their WAEC exams, was commendable, earning them medals. We have now been granted the opportunity to host the next African School Games, affirming our dedication to building a solid foundation for future success.”