September 13, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government says it will revisit the U-17 age limit for the National Youth Games in the next edition of the games.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced this at the 8th National Youth Games opening ceremony in Asaba, Delta State, tagged: ‘Asaba 2024’.
The president, who was represented by the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, said the need to revisit the age limit of the games became imperative following the decline of the nation’s athletes on the global stage.
According to him, the U-15 age limit for athletes affected athletes’ participation, stating that the National Youth Games is devoted to talent hunting and nurturing young athletes.
He reiterated the role of grassroots sports development in building a strong sports sector, noting that the event plays a pivotal role in the unity and peace of the nation.
While highlighting the significance of grassroots sports development, the President stressed the need for a framework that goes beyond talent identification but a platform that ensures comprehensive nurturing from the grassroots to elite levels of competition.
Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, in an address, said his administration would continue to provide the platform for the youths to showcase their talents, pointing out that he is hopeful that new talents would be discovered at the end of the programme.
He asserted that the Delta State government would collaborate with the Federal Government to achieve the aims of the competition, saying sports remain the only tool to promote peace and unity amongst the states in the country.
The state’s helmsman expressed regrets that sports in the country were declining following the poor nation’s performance in the last Olympics in Paris, France, maintaining that there was a need to promote inter-house sports in both primary and secondary school.
He explained that over 6,000 athletes and 1,159 officials have been cleared to participate in this year’s National Youth Games, describing it as a historic event.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chief Solomon Ogba, called on the athletes and officials to demonstrate the spirit of fair play, urging them to compete clean and abide by the rules of the games.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
