NYG 2023: Games Not For Fun – Enoh

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has stated that the 2023 National Youth Games (NYG) should not be a gathering of athletes just for merrymaking but an opportunity towards accelerating sports development across the country.

The Minister, said the Ministry will consciously target talents at the grassroots level to ensure smooth development into professional athletes.

Assuring that the Ministry will consciously target talents at the grassroots level to ensure smooth development into professional athletes.

The 7th edition of the NYG opened on Saturday in Asaba, Delta State, with over 4500 athletes from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, competing for honours.

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Enoh stated that beyond laurels and glory at competitions, the Ministry will focus on ensuring teeming youths with talents in the country forge viable career pathways as athletes.

Speaking on the need for a competitive NYG the sports minister said;

“I believe it’s no joke that we have a gathering of over 4500 youths in one place, this mustn’t be just for fun….

This must be for serious thing and, of course, the basis for the National Youth Games is to be able to discover talents  in different sports.

The talent discovery must not be an end itself, but it should be a means to an end. This is the 7th  edition but the first edition for me as the Minister of Sports Development. I don’t know the measure of success after each game in the past beyond talent discovery.

But how are we as a country going to get these athletes to be the best in the sub-regional, continental and world’s levels? This is going to be part of the transition programmes that we are going to churn out, which is very important.”

He added that NYG provides athletes with more exposure to standard facilities to improve themselves.

Enoh explained further that with youths from 36 States and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, converging in Asaba for the week-long event between September 23 and 29, the NYG would, in a short time, strengthen national unity.