By Anne Azuka
The Joint Technical Committee for the 9th National Youth Games (NYG), scheduled to begin on August 26 in Asaba, has completed an inspection tour of venues and facilities to be used for the competition.
The team, comprising technical officials from the National Sports Commission, sports federations, and the Delta State Sports Commission, gave the facilities a pass mark, noting that some venues require final touches.
Inspection teams, divided into three groups, visited the Stephen Keshi Stadium main bowl, indoor sports halls, swimming pool, hockey complex in Okpanam, the Cenotaph for volleyball and handball, Government House Squash Court, basketball, tennis, and fives venues.
They also toured the Ibori Golf Course, Dennis Osadebe University hostels, Technical College Asaba (accommodation and rugby), Ibusa–Asaba Expressway (cycling), Saint Patrick College Hall (boxing), the college field (cricket and football), and AGGS (Abula).
General Manager of Ekiti State Sports Commission, Lawrence Mayowa Ogundele, expressed satisfaction with the hockey pitch, describing it as “standard” but advised minor improvements. South-South hockey representative, Felix Gheghor, said goalposts must be adjusted for the junior category.
Following the inspection, the committee met to review the host state’s preparedness. Director for Grassroots Sports Development, Amaka Asheofu, representing the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, assured that the 9th NYG would surpass previous editions despite Delta State’s plan to drop baseball, softball, deaf table tennis, and beach volleyball over accommodation concerns.
She urged the state to make provisions for all originally scheduled games, stressing the need to preserve the event’s national status.
The NYG, an Under-15 competition, will run from August 26 to September 6. Key dates include:
- Registration: August 12–20
- Zonal Elimination: August 16–18
- Pre-Delegation Registration Meeting: August 19–20
- Delegation Registration Meeting: August 23–26
