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The Stephen Keshi Stadium, which is the main venue for the 8th edition of the National Youth Games, is now wearing a new look as the organisers put in new facilities to add colour to the Games.
From the main bowl to the swimming pool and the two indoor sports halls, the impact of the state’s readiness to host the biennial event is clearly evident.
The opening ceremony for the Asaba 2024 National Youth Games will be held on Wednesday.
After months of preparation, the Delta State government says it is fully set to host the 8th National Youth Games.
The 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 Games, which will run from September 9 to 19, 2024.
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, told journalists that all logistics needed to host a successful event had been put in place.
The former Commissioner for Sports in Delta State and two-time President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) said that this year’s edition would be a talking point in the history of Nigerian 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 open in Asaba, Delta State.
“Our athletes outstanding performances outshone 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.
According to him, the success story of the 222-man Team Bauchi at the North East Zonal Elimination derived from the moral and financial support rendered by the state governor, commending him for his keen interest and desire to develop the state sports industry for the purposeful development of the youth and his consideration of sports as a viable profession and socio-political instrument for national unity, in line with his “My Bauchi Agenda.”.
He, therefore, assured the government and people of Bauchi State that the state contingent to the National Youth Games in Asaba Delta State under his watch will not take the victory at the zonal elimination for granted but will consolidate on the efforts to record more success at the Youth Games to justify the government’s huge investment in the project.
Yusuf also commended the Bauchi State Commissioner of Sports, Mohammed Salis Gamawa, for his exemplary leadership and for being a good ambassador of Governor Bala Mohammed by uplifting sporting activities and ensuring the revival of Bauchi State in maintaining its glorious name as Mecca of Sports in Nigeria.
It will be recalled that Bauchi hosted one of the best National Sports Festival in the year 2000, where Team Delta emerged as the winner for the first time. Bauchi had earlier hosted the National Sports Festival in 1991.
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