NYG: Don’t cut corners, sports minister warns athletes, coaches

The Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung has warned athletes and coaches of the 31 States participating in the 4th National Youth Game not to cut corners in all the sporting activities.

Dalung who gave the warning while declaring open the 4th National Youth Game, 2018 at the main bowl of University of Ilorin , said any athlete or coach caught in the act of using inducement to get to the top was only damaging and destroying his own future career, adding that wining laurels should not be the highest priority, but the discovery of greater talents that can represent the Country in the nearest future.

He further said the NYG has always been fertile ground for the cultivation of various talents that eventually represent the Country in Botswana and the just concluded 2018 All African Youth Game in Algeria, saying that NYG would continue to remains a production of formidable athletes that can represent the Country at any International level.

“Sport occupies a cardinal place in National Unity and socio-economic growth of any Nation and i want to assure you that NYG will continue to remain a factory producing a formidable athlete that can represent the Country at any International Sporting events.

I hope that this year’s National Youth Game will produce more success stories than the previous one” he said.Speaking in an interview the Director, Ogun State Sports Council, Mr. Adesola Faleti said the National Youth Game has been a Platform for various States to showcase their talents, adding that many Ogun State athletes were called to National Camp through the NYG, some of whom have represented the Country at both National and International level in all sports.

Faleti said some of the talents discovered during the NYG were able to represent the Country at the just concluded 2018 All African Youth Game in Algeria and Ogun State was able to win 3 gold medals in weight lifting thus making the State and the Country proud.