Delta State is poised to host the most spectacular National Youth Games yet, according to Mr. Onoriode Oborevwori, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission. Represented by the Acting Director General of the Delta State Sports Commission, Emuobo Igalase, Oborevwori made this assertion during the Joint Technical Meeting of the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) and Directors of Sports of various states. The meeting was held in preparation for the 9th National Youth Games, which Delta State is set to host.
Oborevwori emphasized that Delta State, under the leadership of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, is committed to delivering world-class events that will be memorable. He highlighted the state’s capacity to host both national and international sporting events, showcasing its readiness to take on this responsibility.
However, the Sports Commission Chairman revealed that despite the state’s readiness, it would not be able to provide facilities for certain sports, including Deaf Sports, Beach Volleyball, Power Lifting, Baseball, and Softball. According to Oborevwori, the inclusion of these sports was done behind schedule, and the state government would not want to compromise on the quality of facilities.
The Chairman explained that the facility for Beach Volleyball, built by the state government, had been destroyed due to ongoing storm drainage work at St. Patrick’s College, Asaba. Additionally, facilities for Baseball, Softball, Power Lifting, and Deaf Sports could not be built within the short timeframe leading up to the games. Oborevwori urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to consider expunging these events from the games.
In response, the Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) and Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, represented by the Director of Grassroots Sports Development, Chief Amaka Ashiofu, thanked the Delta State government for providing quality facilities for the National Youth Games. However, Olopade noted that the facilities still required some attention and renovations before the commencement of the games.
Olopade emphasized that Delta State should work towards ensuring that all scheduled events are provided with facilities, stressing that the state has no excuse to do otherwise, given that the rest of Nigeria would be converging on Asaba within the next 16 days. He pointed out that several states had invested heavily in preparing their athletes for the games, especially in the sports that Delta State is struggling to accommodate.
The Directors of Sports from various states, including Zamfara State’s Director of Sports, Mr. Nasiru Aliyu Bakura, lauded the Delta State government for being 95% ready to host the games. However, they urged the state to work assiduously towards meeting its hosting obligations, emphasizing that the athletes participating in the games are children who cannot be exposed to hazards such as lack of accommodation or stalled sports careers due to unavailability of facilities.
Prior to the meeting, the Directors of Sports, Coaches, Secretaries of sports associations, and others had undertaken an inspection tour of the facilities earmarked for the National Youth Games. The teams affirmed Delta State’s readiness to host the games, particularly with the improvements made since the last edition in 2024.
As the 9th National Youth Games approach, Team Delta is expected to continue its dominance in the competition, having won the first eight editions of the games since its inception in 2013. The state government is eager to make a positive impact and host a successful event, which would be the third of the four editions of the games handed to Delta State by the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, now the National Sports Commission, in 2022.
