As the curtain fell on the 8th edition of the National Youth Games held in Asaba on Thursday, the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, harped on the importance of the nurture and development of young talents discovered at the games to enable them to transform into world class athletes.
The minister, who applauded the high level of discipline and sportsmanship displayed by the athletes during the games, said that the ministry under his leadership has started an Athletes Development Initiative to kickstart the process of nurturing them to compete at the elite level.
"To the athletes, I say congratulations for your high level of discipline and sportsmanship while showcasing your God-given talents. The sky is the beginning for you young lads. With you, the future of Nigerian sports is bright.
"You have begun a journey that will no doubt catapult you into the spectacular world of elite sports. I see future world record holders and Olympic and Paralympic medalists among you. With dedication and commitment, I believe you can achieve this", he said.
The minister, who noted that the National Youth Games has continued to be a valuable platform for discovering young talents who have gone on to represent the country in various sports with many of them champion-winning medalists, assured that the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to leveraging the socioeconomic potential in the sports sector to realise the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.
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Senator Enoh stated that in addition to providing direct and indirect employment for the host state, Delta, especially in the hospitality and tourism sectors, the National Youth Games was a veritable tool for the promotion of peace and unity in Nigeria. He praised the government and people of Delta State for their dedication to ensuring the success of the games.
He said, "It is equally important to express my heartfelt gratitude to the governors of all the participating states and the Minister of FCT for sponsoring their contingents to this Games, the media, security personnel and other stakeholders for their dedication and commitment to a successful and seamless tournament."
The minister also praised Sin Munyal Kwairanga, a fourteen-year-old athlete who registered on her own and went on to win three gold medals in Gymnastics.
It will be recalled that Delta, Lagos and Edo emerged first, second and third positions in the games, after scoring a total of 111, composed of 46 gold, 31 silver and 34 bronze medals for Delta; 65 medals, composed of 26 gold, 20 silver and 19 bronze for Lagos and 59 medals, composed of 18 gold, 13 silver and 28 bronze for Edo States respectively.