By Anne Azuka
As the battle for medals continues at the ongoing Eighth National Youth Games in Asaba, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mr. Solomon Ogba, has expressed satisfaction with the distribution of medals across the competing states.
Speaking during a press briefing with sports journalists, Ogba highlighted the competitive spirit among states, emphasizing that the competition was not a “one-horse race.”
“The quality of competition, technically, has been good, and the results are better than before, which is positive news for the country,” Ogba said. “Looking at the medals table, the wins are spread evenly among many states. This is very good for our country. We hope this trend continues, and by Thursday, when the event ends, everyone will be pleased they came to Asaba.”
Ogba noted the impressive turnout, with 35 states participating alongside the Federal Capital Territory, bringing the total to 36, and nearly 6,000 athletes and officials present. He also commended the Delta State government for their preparations, pointing out improvements in accommodation, transportation, and feeding compared to previous editions of the Youth Games.
Addressing issues like age cheating and other irregularities, Ogba assured that the LOC had been meeting with federation and state officials to find lasting solutions. He also expressed Delta State’s eagerness to host more sporting competitions in the future.
Meanwhile, Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Muhammad Gamawa, expressed confidence in his state’s ability to win more medals, beyond the gold they’ve already secured. Gamawa highlighted that the Bauchi State Government had fully paid the allowances of all athletes and officials prior to their departure for the Games, underscoring the importance of sports infrastructure in the state.
In some finalized events, Team Delta’s Ngozi Okereke won the 400m girls’ category with a time of 53:50 seconds, while David Udoh of Delta took the 400m boys’ final in 49:33 seconds. In the Darts competition, Bayelsa won gold in the female doubles, Edo took silver, and Delta and Lagos picked up bronze medals. For the male doubles, Delta claimed gold, Borno silver, and Akwa Ibom and Benue took bronze.
As of the latest medals table, Delta State leads with 18 gold, 7 silver, and 10 bronze medals, followed by Edo and Oyo states.
