The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Delta State Government has signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding as host of the National Youth Games.
The signing ceremony was held Tuesday at the auditorium of the Governor’s office in the presence of Chairman Delta State Sports Commission; Tony Okowa, the SSG Patrick Ukah, the deputy governor among others.
Speaking during the short ceremony, the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has assured of its total commitment to the successful hosting of the National Youth Games for the next four years.
Senator Okowa stated this during the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Delta State Government on Tuesday in Asaba.
Okowa said Delta will host the National Youth Games for the next four years urging other States to wake up in sports youth development.
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He praised the Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare for striving hard for the development of sports in the country.
He said, “Delta has a strong relationship with the Sports Ministry. The Minister, Sunday Dare did not sit in Abuja but was always out there working for sports development.
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“We are happy to host the national youth games for the next four years. We will host youth games the nation can be proud of.
“I challenge other States to prepare their athletes and give Delta real competition. It’s through the competition you break records.
“Delta will strive to retain its number one position always and other states can scramble for who comes second.”
Earlier in his speech, Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare said the National Youth Games is open only to athletes under 17 years, emphasizing the importance of the Games in Nigeria’s sports development.
He applauded Delta State’s commitment to sports saying, “Check the data for the last 40 years, Delta State has contributed a lot to sports development in Nigeria.
“As a minister, Delta has been instrumental to the success I enjoyed in the last Four years of my administration.
”Signing the MoU, you can rest assured that we are going to experience a new dimension to the National Youth Games for the next four years.”
He added that “National Youth Games is the future of sports growth for the country where many young talents will be discovered as experienced with previous National Youth Games and I strongly believe that the next four years of Delta hosting, more talents would be discovered and nurtured to stardom”, Dare said.