Izuchukwu Okosi
The 7th Edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) earlier scheduled to hold in Asaba, the Delta State Capital from February 8-18, 2023 has been postponed.
In a communique signed on Tuesday by Mohammed Manga, Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, the postponement became imperative due to the upcoming general elections.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar noted that the postponement is due to logistics and time constraints, especially, taking cognisance of the commencement of the General Elections slated for February 25, 2023.
While regretting all the inconveniences the postponement might cause its stakeholders, Alhaji Ismaila assured that a new date for the Games will be announced after the elections.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development has received complaints about the Medal table at the recently concluded 21st National Sports Festival.
After an initial review was conducted, the Ministry has decided to take a further step of setting up an independent Committee immediately for a further review.
This process is normal in situations in order to ascertain whatever the challenges were with the Festival Medal table computation. It is also normal to have them resolved even after the Festival.
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Towards the resolution of the matter, the Ministry announced a Committee made up of experts who had managed the Technical arm of previous Festivals in the past.
The following are members of the Committee:
1.Mrs. Hauwa-Kulu
2.Madaki Elias Gora
3.Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Okaro (Chairman)
4.Lekan Alabi, the Statistician of the Ministry will be part of the Committee, as Secretary, while a representative of the Delta State Sports Commission will serve as Member.
The Committee is expected among other things to:
1. Determine what went wrong with the Medal table computation from the stand point of knowledge and experience of previous festivals
2. Establish the exact and correct Medal table by ridding the table of any double entries and inaccuracies and make recommendations to guide against future occurrence.
The Committee were mandated to complete its assignment in seven days.
The Press statement was signed by Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry.
ary 17, 2023
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
