Senator John Owan Enoh, the Minister of Sports Development, has said ahead of the start of the 7th National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State, talent discovery is more important than winning.
The Games will feature 35 sports, with no fewer than 4,500 athletes from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT participating in the jostle for glory.
The minister said the main focus of the Games will be to unearth young talents for the country, who would possibly take on the baton at the elite stage in a few years.
“At this level of sports, our major focus as a nation will not be to win, but to provide a platform for new talents to find expression,” the minister said.
“We want to have a working system that churns out talents for the nation, and at the same time provide a platform for these talented individuals to be the best version of themselves.
“The National Youth Games is for young athletes who are 15 years and under. It is at this level that we want to find the next Victor Osimhen, the heir apparent to Tobi Amusan, the protégés for Funke Oshonaike and Aruna Quadri, and many others,” Senator Enoh added.
He noted that part of the vision of the Ministry is to ensure proper development and provide a transition programme for these young athletes, where they can climb up the ladder from being newbies to full elite competitors.
The Games will be held between September 23 – 30, 2023, across multiple venues in the Delta State capital, with the Opening Ceremony taking place at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
Featured sports include athletics, basketball, cricket, chess, football, judo, golf, handball, scrabble, Taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, etc.
Teams are expected to start arriving from Wednesday, September 20, 2023, with screening of athletes to take place before the Opening Ceremony.
