The contingent from both Benue and Sokoto States may return home empty-handed after failing to win a single medal after 10 days of intense competitions as 7th National Youth Games comes to an end Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State.
Reports revealed that as at the close of events on Friday, Benue and Sokoto were the only states out of the 30 states that were yet to register their names on the medals table.
On Tuesday evening, Enugu, Adamawa, Benue, Bauchi, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Sokoto, and Taraba states were without any colour of medal on the table.
However, the situation took a different turn for seven states, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Taraba soon afterward, as their athletes increased their work rate at competition grounds, which gave them medals.
Enugu State made it to the medal table on Thursday evening when Ikenna Ndubisi clinched the first silver medal in wrestling.
The kid wrestler lost the final 52kg freestyle wrestling event to Eguda Perelade of Delta State, with Abdullahi Adamu of Bauchi and Nabil Al Hassan of Kano settling for the bronze medals.
Enugu State contingent celebrated the silver medal won by Ndubisi late into the night.
Evaluating the activities lined up for closing ceremony on Saturday, it might require a divine intervention for Benue and Sokoto to pick a medal.
To thrill the spectators, the organisers decided to keep the final of the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relay events till the closing ceremony on Saturday evening.
The hosts, Delta, Edo, and Lagos have shown that they are the states to beat in these events.
The defending champions, Delta State was topping the table with 36 gold, 25 silver, and 23 bronze medals. Lagos is second with 18 gold, 12 silver and 15 bronze medals, while Edo State is third with 17 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. Bayelsa State is in the fourth position with 17 gold, 6 silver and 14 bronze medals, as at Friday evening.
The closing ceremony on Saturday, September 30, 2023, will allow Team Ekiti to display their new kits at the National Youth Games.
Ekiti had to unveil their new kits at the Youth Games in Asaba, on Wednesday, in what was a reparation for their show of shame at the opening ceremony of the Games last Saturday, where viral pictures online showed their athletes during the march-past wearing different shades of pants and slippers on white T-shirts.
The show of shame at the Stephen Keshi Stadium did not go down well with the Ekiti State House of Assembly, which immediately launched an investigation into the kits scandal.
There are indications that Saturday’s closing ceremony of the 7th National Youth Games might be low-key, following what an official described, Friday, as poor funding by the Delta State government.
The official disclosed that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori only released part of the money budgeted for Team Delta’s participation in the Games and that he had refused to listen to pleas from members of the LOC to release the balance.
“As we speak, the Governor has not released money for the LOC to settle officiating officials, pay hotel bills as well as caterers. We don’t even know how allowances for the athletes and their officials will be paid. Tomorrow (today) is the closing ceremony, and I doubt if the LOC will do something elaborate because there is no money. Some of the hotels threatened to throw out our guests on Wednesday evening, but our chairman (Tonobok Okowa) had to plead with them. Now, Okowa is very sick, and we just have to allow him to have proper rest,” the official stated.
Efforts to speak with officials of the government were unsuccessful. When contacted Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Festus Ahon said, “I am very busy now.”
