It has been an eventful week at the sixth edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) in Ilorin, Kwara State, having seen numerous talents on display as Team Delta emerged champions, sitting at the top of the medals table as the Games were declared closed.
Top 10 on the medals table are Delta with 114 medals, Lagos with 72 medals, Bayelsa with 46 medals, Ogun with 45 medals Edo with 40 medals, FCT with 36 medals, Rivers had 33 medals.
The host state; Kwara grabbed 32 medals, while Oyo got 31 medals and Ondo with 30 medals among every other performing states.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Games, Sports Minister Sunday Dare said this year’s edition of the Games has shown everyone that there are abundant talents in the country.
“Everything that has a beginning must have an end. It has been an awesome time of competition, bonding, making friends, building intimacy and developing healthy rivalries,” Minister Dare said. “Bringing the best young talents in Nigeria together and giving the platform to do what they love the most.”
“Medals may have been won and lost but the reality is that every young talent represented here is a winner, whether you have a medal around your neck or not.”
“As a Ministry, what we have seen here in the last few days have reinforced our belief that every effort put into grassroots sports development is a worthy investment and not a waste,” Dare added.
“Since its first edition was held in 2013, the National Youth Games has grown in leaps and bounds. This year 35 States participated in 34 sports.”
In the 200m final, Team Delta claimed a double victory as Iioba Godspower won a Gold medal clocking 22.05s, while 100m champions Joachim Owviri won Bronze.
Some of the amazing athletes are 9-year-old Gift Torhile from FCT and 10-year-old Wilson Bright from Delta State. Outstanding gymnasts like Obiefuna Munachi, the 13-year-old from FCT and Mustapha Oriyomi, another 13-year-old from Delta were also on display.
Delta topped the boys gymnastics event with a total of 4 Gold medals and a Bronze.
The Games also featured amazing talents in Weightlifting like Florence Olarinoye from Lagos, Victory Okundia from Edo and Marvelous Chidirim from FCT and the special youngster, Akinwowon Oladeji from Lagos, the deaf boy who won the 100m, 200m and 400m.
The ideals and philosophy behind the National Youth Games is very explicit: it is strategically designed by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) to address our national aspiration of repositioning sports at the grassroots level and to serve as a platform to discover budding talents in the country.
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