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Tag: NYG

  • Lagos, Edo, Delta battle for supremacy as NYG closing draws near

    Lagos, Edo, Delta battle for supremacy as NYG closing draws near

    The excitement surrounding the closing ceremony of the 9th National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba has highlighted the determination and resilience of the athletes representing Delta State. 

    As it stands, Team Delta is in third place on the medals table but fiercely competing to reclaim their title. 

    With only four gold medals separating them from Team Edo, the competition is intense.

    Sports analysts remain optimistic about Delta’s prospects, emphasising that the defending champions still have a viable chance to climb the podium before the event concludes. 

    This final push will likely involve strategic planning and teamwork to secure the necessary medals. 

    Read Also: Garba canvasses more medals for Shooting at National Youth Games

    The enthusiasm and competitive spirit demonstrated by these young athletes reflect the essence of youth sports and the importance of perseverance and sportsmanship in their pursuit of excellence. 

    As the ceremony approaches, all eyes will be on Team Delta and their efforts to fortify their status as perennial winners in this prestigious event.

    The medals table just released by the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee, shows that Team Lagos is on top with 38 gold, 18 silver and 16 bronze medals, followed by Team Edo with 27 gold, 11 silver and 16 bronze medals while Delta State has garnered 23 gold, 27 silver and 27 bronze medals to occupy the third position.

    Meanwhile, six sports events are expected to be concluded today (Friday) with many medals available for grabs ahead of the closing Saturday.

    The events include badminton, athletics, wrestling, ayo, kickboxing and abula.

  • Okowa lauds Team Delta for winning NYG

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Monday congratulated Team Delta for winning the 4th National Youth Games (NYG) in Ilorin for the 4th consecutive time.

    The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu in Asaba, lauded the handlers and the management of the Delta State Sports Commission for the feat.

    He said he was not surprised that the team came top because Delta had been a pacesetter in sports development.

    He said the successes recorded by the team stemmed from the huge investments in sports by the state government.

    According to him, the state government revived Headmasters’ and Principals’ Cup competitions as well as its huge investments in sports infrastructure like the Ozoro Polytechnic Stadium and the world class Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.

    Read Also: Athletes proud to represent Lagos at National Youth Games

    “The Keshi Stadium, which hosted the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championships tagged: Asaba 2018, is poised to continuously blaze the trail,” he said.

    Okowa also commended the Federal Ministry of Sports for organizing such events that provided an avenue to bring young people together for their physical and mental development.

    He assured the youths that the state government would do more to improve their welfare and charged team to continue to make the state proud.

    Delta came top with a total of 67 medals, comprising 27gold; 24 silver, and 16 bronze.

    Lagos, which did not participate in the second and third editions, emerged second by winning 23 gold, 15 silver and 22 bronze.

    Team Bayelsa and Ogun were joint third, winning 34 medals with 11 gold; 7 silver, and 16 bronze apiece.

     

  • NYG: Kwara shines in squash racket with two medals

    NYG: Kwara shines in squash racket with two medals

     Kwara players have won one gold and one silver medals in the boys and girls singles events of the squash racket competition at the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG) in Ilorin.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that both the girls and boys singles finals involved Kwara players, with the state dictating the pace in the event which ends on Friday.

    Kwara’s Rofiat Abdulazeez defeated teammate Odunade Adeyi 3-1 in the girls singles final, while Durosinlorun Uthman beat Abdulrahman Nasiru in the boys singles final.

    Abdulazeez had earlier beaten Kayode Florence of Ondo State in the semi-finals, while Adeyi was stretched to the limit by Ibidun Mejidade from Ogun in the second semi-final.

    In the boys semi-finals, Uthman and Nasir respectively defeated Mustapha Habeeb and Idowu Ololade, both of Ogun, to reach the final.

    The coach of Kwara’s team, Isiaka Magaji, after the games said he was dedicating the achievement to the Kwara State Squash Association, as well as their sponsors and supporters.

    He commended the state government for providing the enabling environment, as well as other squash racket coaches in the state for their hard work and dedication.

    NAN reports that finals of the team events in the competition will be played on Friday to conclude the competition.

  • Kano targets top three at NYG

    Kano targets top three at NYG

    The Kano State Director of Sports, Malam Bashiru Ahmed, has said that the aim of the state is to surpass it’s previous performance at the Youth Games, holding in Ilorin.

    Ahmed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ilorin, that the state is participating in more individual events.

    “This year’s National Youth Games, Kano is featuring in 15 events and we hope to get medals in 12 events.

    “Last year, we had 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze and I’m sure we’ll improve this year.

    “The state’s target is between 1st to 3rd position.

    “We are participating in more individual sports like swimming, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Wrestling and I’m optimistic victory is ours” Ahmed said.

    He revealed that Eminike Emeka won a silver for the state in the Gymnastics event.

    “In the Vaulting Exercise of the boy’s gymnastics event, Eminike Emeka brought the state a silver and more is coming.” Ahmed added.

  • NYG’s closing ceremony brought forward

    NYG’s closing ceremony brought forward

    The National Youth Games (NYG) will now close ahead of its scheduled time today as its Abuja National Stadium mainbowl venue is slated to hold another event.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NYG was earlier billed to end in the evening as is customary of such events. However, the games, which formally commenced on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the same venue, will now end a few hours ahead of schedule today.

    The development was as a result of the 2014 FIFA World Cup’s African Qualifier Second Round First Leg Match between Nigeria’s Super Falconets and their Tunisian counterparts. NAN reports that the match has been scheduled to hold from 4 p.m. at the same venue.

    As a result of this, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of NYG has had to bring forward the activities lined up for the closing ceremony.

    The games’ closing ceremony will now start by 11 a.m. and end by 2.30 p.m., to allow for the match to begin as scheduled at 4 p.m.

    NAN reports that the number of athletics events that would be part of the ceremony has also been reduced to two, with only the boys and girls medley relays holding.

  • FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFIER: NYG won’t affect Falconets match — NFF

    FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFIER: NYG won’t affect Falconets match — NFF

    The leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation has allayed fears that the closing ceremony of the National Youth Festival holding in Abuja would have any technical implication on the FIFA U-20 World cup qualifying match between the Falconets and their Tunisian counterpart holding at the Abuja National Stadium on Saturday. The National Youth Games would also end the same day at the Stadium.

    According to the General Secretary of the Football Federation, Musa Amadu, all the FIFA stipulations on international matches of that magnitude would be observed ” the rules is that the visitors should be allowed access to the pitch 24 hours to the match, which they would have today. They are also to be allowed one hour before the match, which they would have on Saturday. So the festival which would end on that day would not affect the match in any way. The Festival would have ended before then” he concluded.

    Many Nigeria had expressed fears that the Tunisians who are very good in winning technical points easily considering the ways their clubside knocked Rangers International out of the Confederation Cup on technical issues, and how their Senior National team edged out Cape Varde in the final qualifiers of the 2014 World cup. Cape Varde used a player who was not eligible for the match. The Tunisians held on to that and qualified for the final rounds of the competition. Those who expressed fears are of the opinion that there is every possibility that the closing ceremony of the Youth Games would extend beyond the 2.00pm that the NSC is projecting to end the games. They are seeing a possibility that the visitors may be looking for lapses to capitalize on, since they know that their girls may not be able to withstand the Falconnets.

    Meanwhile, SportingLife gathered that the timing of the match dominated the discussions between the Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, and the NFF leadership when they visited the Minister on Monday. This we also learnt would be a better way to have a full crowd watch the U.20 girls at the Abuja National Stadium.

  • Para-powerlifting federation to nurture talents discovered at NYG

    Para-powerlifting federation to nurture talents discovered at NYG

    The Technical Director of the Para-powerlifting Federation, Samuel Ekeoma, on Wednesday said that the body would ensure that newly-discovered talents from the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG) would be nurtured to stardom.

    Ekeoma told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on telephone that the federation would initiate follow-up programmes to monitor the progress of outstanding talents from the Games. He added that the inclusion of physically challenged athletes in the NYG, had given the athletes a sense of belonging.

    “We are so happy that Para-Sports is also part of the NYG. We commend the NSC for including the physically challenged athletes,’’ he said.

    “Some of the athletes in the para-powerlifting event are doing very well and we are observing their performance. Immediately after the games, the federation will come up with programmes that will further improve the athletes,’’ he said.

    The technical director stressed that it was only through such vibrant follow-up programmes that newly-discovered athletes could be properly nurtured to eventually replace ageing athletes.

  • Amokachi screams: NYG affecting Eagles’ CHAN training

    Amokachi screams: NYG affecting Eagles’ CHAN training

    Super Eagles Assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi has stated that the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG) in Abuja has greatly affected their training programme in their preparations for the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.

    Amokachi has been in charge of the Eagles training in the absence of Eagles Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi, who is yet to join the team from Benin, Edo State where he went to visit his family. The Eagles First Assistant coach, however complained of lack of space for the team’s training.

    Amokachi disclosed at Tuesday’s media chat with the team that some of the events going on at the Abuja National Stadium main bowl and practice pitches have naturally disrupted the Eagles’ training programmes and schedules.

    “We are forced to train once a day for two hours because most of the space are being used for the NYG. Right now we are even sharing training space with the Falconets (who are also training for the World Cup qualifiers). Maybe by next week we will rearrange the training when the Games must have been concluded,” Amokachi disclosed.

  • Abia outshines others in female para-powerlifting

    Team Abia on Monday in Abuja outshone other states which participated in the female para-powerlifting event at the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 10 states participated in the 41kg, 45kg and 50kg categories of the event’s female competition, with Abia winning two.

    Kelechi Jacob from Abia won the 50 kg female event after successfully lifting 75 kg, with Roseline Oludehinwa from Ondo State taking the second position with 68kg. Seun Solomon from Osun was in third place with a lift of 67.5 kg.

    In the 45kg category, Peace Okagbue from Abia won with the best lift of 70kg. Damilola Olawale from Delta took the second place with a 68kg lift, with Bukola Alao from Osun taking the third place with 67.5kg.

    Nsini Ben from Akwa Ibom won the 41kg category with the best lift of 80kg, while Sekinat Abolaji from Delta was second. She however only beat Amarachi Okoronkwo from Imo through a body advantage after both of them lifted 66kg each, for Okoronkwo to help Imo to the third place.

    Coach of the Abia team, Jude Ihuarulam, said he was so excited that his team won two of the categories, stating that their victory was well deserved. He said his team had prepared so hard for the competition.

    “It can now be safely said that I am going home with two gold medals, even though there are no medals at this competition. I am very happy because my powerlifters deserve it. We brought them from their various schools, and they have prepared so hard for this competition,’’ the coach said.

    Speaking on the competition, Ihuarulam said he was so impressed with officiating, adding that the officials strictly followed the International Powerlifting Committee (IPC) rules and regulations.”

     

     

    “I am so impressed with the level of officiating. Everything was in order, as the officials, referees and the athletes were all well behaved. The officials did not compromise the IPC rules and regulations. They were followed strictly, which is good for the development of the game in the future,’’ he said.