The Minister of Youth and Sports Barr Solomon Dalung has charged the various Federations’ Presidents to make themselves available at the closing ceremony of the National Youth Games on Saturday.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development at the start of the competition set up a committee, Talent Identification Committee, to discover talents to replace the aging athletes.
The Talent Identification Committee, TIC, is to hand over talents discovered at the ongoing National Youth Games in Ilorin Kwara state at the closing ceremony on Saturday.
According to Dalung, all Federations’ Presidents are expected to attend the closing ceremony of the National Youth Games this weekend for a formal handover of discovered athletes by the Talent Identification Committee.
“This youth games is aimed at producing athletes who will represent Nigeria at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires Argentina and the Africa Youth Games in Algiers in 2018. The Talent Identification Committee should ensure that the selection of athletes is fair and that they are the best, so that grooming of athletes for the African Youth Games and the World Youth Olympics can commence in earnest.
“Sports in Nigeria has grown immensely and contributed to national unity so it is therefore my hope and aspiration that this edition will produce 40 athletes in different sports,” Dalung said.
The Minister charged the participants to see their role during the games as a stepping stone to greater heights while thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for granting approval for the hosting of the games.
31 states are taking part in the 3rd edition of the National Youth Games. The closing ceremony comes up on Saturday 16, September 2017 at the University of Ilorin Sports complex.
