Delta wins 2023 National Youth Games as curtains draw on 10 days sports fiesta

Posted : 01 October 2023

The host, Delta State on Saturday becomes the winners of the 7th National Youth Games with landslide victory of table with a total of 116 medals.

The win means that Delta has successfully defended the title won about two years ago in Ilorin Kwara State.

Delta State is also the defending champions of the National Sports Festival held last year December, also staged in Asaba Delta State.

The recent win means Delta State is now a dominant force in Nigeria's sports circle

At a glamours closing ceremony at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium, Asaba, Delta was announced winner with medal table laid with 116 medals comprising 51 gold, 34 silver, and 31 bronze.

Lagos State on the heels of Delta came second with a total of 61 medals of 21 gold, 19 silver, and 21 bronze; Edo State came third with 53 medals of 21 gold, 15 silver, and 17 bronze; and Bayelsa State completed the top-four with 37 medals of 20 gold, 7 silver, and 16 bronze.

Delta State in record with the successful hosting of the 7th National Youth Games will also go down in the history as a state that has been able put up one of the most colourful and publicised events in the history of the Youth Sports fiesta featuring U15 athletes from the 36 states and the FCT.

Also, Delta State has now won the last six editions of the games, having only failed to win the first edition held in 2013 in Abuja, which was won by Cross River State.

The boys and girls 100-metre finals at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium Asaba brought the 7th edition to a close and proved to be the perfect icing on the cake.

Significantly, the South-East region underscored its age-long dominance of the sprint events of age-grade competitions, taking the gold in both events fashionably, invoking memories of the 80s when the likes of Chidi Imoh, Mary Onyali, Charity Opara, Davidson on Osmond Ezenwa, Beatrice Otondu, and other athletes from the region dominated grassroots sprint events.

In the boys final, Ugochukwu Franklin Onwosi of Ebonyi State breasted the tape ahead of Bayelsa State’s Pulu Bright Fiezibe and Nda-Isaiah David Jeremiah of FCT to claim the gold, silver, and bronze medals in that particular order.

South-East almost made it a clean sweep in the girls category, with two sisters, Nwankwo Lucy Chiamaka and Nwankwo Chigozie Rosemary, winning gold and silver for Anambra State, while Sunday Favour of Delta State came in third to take home the bronze.

Aside from finishing strongly and better than its placement on the log in previous editions, Lagos State took home two of the most prestigious golds of the games by winning the boys and girls football events. The girls from Lagos State ran riot with a 5-0 demolition of Ogun State, while the boys edged Plateau State 2-1 in the finals played inside Stephen Keshi Stadium on Friday.

This is the first time a state has won both events in the history of the games, a feat that speaks volumes about the great efforts made by the Fouad Oki-Lagos State Football Association Board to reposition football in the state from its grassroots.

Delta wins 2023 National Youth Games as curtains draw on 10 days sports fiesta

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